Pryde on the Rocks
by ScarletScriber
Summary: Bobby Drake and Kitty Pryde try to make the transition from friends to something more in the aftermath of an attack on the mansion. The task proves to be difficult as new responsibilities and new students stand in the way. Companion piece to the fic "The enemy within".
1. The Iceman Melteth

_**A/N: Events in this story directly tie into the fic "The enemy within" meaning this bit of fiction will make more sense to those who have read it. Not that I'm trying to solicit people to read my work… **_

_**This is set in the X-Men Movie verse taking into account the first three movies with some pieces of "Origins" nothing from "First Class"**_

_**Enjoy and review!**_

**-Examination room, two days after the attack-**

"So am I stuck like this or not…?" I was getting impatient with Forge. Logically I knew that he was only being thorough, but I still hated all the tests he was running me through. I just want an answer.

I'd spent the last forty eight hours trying to revert back to my regular form, sleeping outside and I've had enough. Forge had his hands full with everyone else who had been hurt in the Sentinel attack, so I didn't want to pile on my problems; but I'm done waiting.

"It's not as simple as that Bobby…" Forge answers, obviously as exasperated with me as I am with him. "The chemical compound that Sentinel used on you was **genetic specific**; it was engineered to overload your mutation to the point of death. Had Kitty not thrown you in the lake…"

Kitty may have saved my life, but if I stay like this I'll never be able to repay her. Now that she and Peter were officially done I want to make my move; but not as Frosty the Snowman.

"So **I am **stuck like this then…"

Forge sighs as if he were talking to a child, before he finally gives me the answer. "Yes. And no."

Suddenly, I wish I had a pair of Adamantium claws. "What?"

"This form you're in, is merely a manifestation of a secondary mutation. Much like Hank's blue furred state…" Forge points to a screen detailing my power levels post and pre Sentinel attack. "In both cases an outside chemical agent forced the change, but in your case it's likely this would have occurred at some point anyway…"

"So the chemical agent forced my powers to mature faster than I was ready for them to?"

"Exactly." Forge nods turning back to me. "So it will simply be a matter of you adjusting to the new levels and then discovering the off switch…"

_**Great how long is that gonna take…?**_

**-Picnic area, one week later-**

In my Iceman form, my body converts sunlight and moisture into energy, which means I won't "starve" while stuck like this. Unfortunately my body also operates at a temperature below freezing so any attempt to eat would be pointless. Even though the steaks and burgers Logan and Scott were serving made my mouth water, all I could do was watch.

Working with Forge I have been able to raise my temperature a little each day, yet I'm still a walking ice block. People can at least be around me now for short periods of time, but I have had to move out of the mansion and into the guest cabin for now.

Peter's come to visit me everyday since, even Aaron's been by a couple times to hang out and play cards or watch the game. So it hasn't been all bad. Kitty has been by to see me too…

So far, I'm still stuck in the friendship zone with Kitty, but that's expected. After finding out about Peter and Tabitha, I figured she'd want to stay away from the boyfriend/girlfriend dynamic for awhile. And given my current condition it's not as if I could even qualify anyway.

Of course, Rogue and I had found a way around her powers when we'd been together. Now with Forge claiming to be close to a way of helping **her**, she could end up dating before me.

_**Ugh… first I fall for the girl that can't be touched… now I can't touch the girl I've fallen for! **_

I see Kitty run up to the recently recovered Ororo and hug her warmly, I'd give anything to be able to do the same. But all I can do is wave from a distance.

With everyone pretty much recovered, it's beginning to feel a little more like it was. There's still a sadness over the loss of Sean, Theresa and Amara but the healing, however slow has begun. Having Ororo back among us definitely helps and everyone takes their turn welcoming her back.

Especially Logan.

I have to admit I was a little surprised to find out about Wolverine and Storm, but watching the two of them interact; it was obvious how much they cared for each other. Their kiss causes some light-hearted teasing to erupt from those watching.

Once things settle down and Ororo takes her seat, a blue haired girl walks over to me smiling.

"Noriko, right?" She's one of the mutants we liberated from Welling's facility, I haven't seen her around much, but then I've been spending most of my time away from everyone else.

"Yes," she answers with a coy smile, she's very pretty. Something I hadn't really noticed before. "I never got the chance to thank you…"

"All part of the job, Ma'am." I smirk with a mock salute that causes her to giggle a bit. Cute laugh too, just like Kitty's. During the last few days I've taken up the habit of comparing every girl I meet to Kitty. She's taller than Kitty, shapelier, more confident and every bit as pretty.

I ask her how she's adjusting to being here and how often has Roberto hit on her. She laughs and mentions that he hasn't bothered her much since she fried him with an electric pulse and we both share a laugh. The conversation flows so smoothly I don't even notice that most of the picnic goers have returned inside.

I frown a bit because I know this means I'll be out here by myself again, but she surprises me by staying where she is. I have to admit; I don't mind the attention.

"So how come you were over here by yourself?" She asks.

I point to the grass beneath her feet which as a light frost on it. "Better if I keep my distance…"

She nods, holding up her wrists to reveal two identical silver bracelets. "I have to be careful too…" She admits, with a sad smile. "These things are all that keeps me from electrocuting **everyone **I touch. Not just horny Brazilians who think "**no**" is girl for "**try harder**"…" I smile and I realize that since she's come over here; all I've done is smile. "I'm getting better at controlling the charge, but…" She shrugs, putting on a brave smile.

"You'll get there, Noriko," I reassure her warmly. From the little I know about her powers she's basically always building a charge in her body, so she has to release it periodically. The bracelets allow her to control how much and how often she releases her energy. They also look pretty cool.

_**Leave it to Forge to make something both practical and stylish…**_

"We both will, Bobby…" She touches my shoulder and gives it a squeeze before turning to walk away.

_**I hope you're right…**_

**-Off site cabin, Bobby's residence-**

After spending most of my day straining to switch back, I wake up in the middle of the night; freezing.

I'm never cold, or at least I haven't been since the day my powers first manifested, so this is cause for alarm. When I get up from my bed, the first thing I notice is my hands; they're flesh and blood again. I flex them a few times to make sure.

The term, "jump for joy" always seemed silly to me, but that's exactly what I do. I jump on my bed which is now soaked through the mattress and yell.

I'm thankful that I'm here by myself so that no one can see what an idiot I'm being as I dance around my temporary residence. After my elation dies down though, I wonder if this means my powers are gone now, for good.

_**Do I dare try to use them? What if I end up stuck again like before? If I'm human now does that mean I'll have to leave?**_

"Quit being a coward, Drake and find out…" I concentrate on lowering my body temperature and just like before I'm in my ice form. "Okay so the **on **switch still works… let's try the **off**…" Seconds later I'm standing in a puddle and my skin is normal again.

I sprint full speed across the lawn to the mansion.

**-Mansion, game room-**

Seeing the light is on in the game room, I head there and see Scott and Aaron playing pool, while Logan watches. As I approach them I can hear their conversation.

"So when are you planning on telling Drake?" Logan asks as Aaron sinks a striped ball with ease.

"Tomorrow…" Scott answers wincing as Aaron sinks another ball. I hope Scott didn't bet any money on this game, because Aaron had taken to lightening our wallets after being here only a week. He **claimed** that his enhanced senses had nothing to do with his ability to play, but I imagine they didn't hurt.

"Well since he's here already…" Aaron responds not taking his eye off the eight ball which he drops in the side pocket before turning to me. "Nice to see you got a handle on your situation Drake. Professor Summers?" Aaron holds out his hand as Scott reaches for his wallet in disgust.

Logan watches the exchange with a bit of an amused look on his face.

"I feel like I was hustled…" Scott quips placing a twenty in Aaron's palm.

"I never told you I **couldn't **play…" Aaron laughs pocketing the bill and leans against his pool stick, his face turning serious. "I promise I won't let you down." He looks over at Logan who has a skeptical look on his face. "Either of you…"

If Aaron notices the confused look on my face, he doesn't respond to it. He leaves the room without another word.

**-Danger Room, the next morning-**

After breakfast everyone, except the underclassmen, are summoned to the Danger Room for a meeting. My heart is pounding in my chest so loud Aaron nudges me and tells me to calm down.

_**Easy for him to say…**_

Aaron and I are standing at the front of the room with Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm and Marvel Girl. Despite everything I've been through, I feel out of place; like I don't belong up here with the heavy hitters. Even Aaron has more combat experience then I do.

"Everyone," Scott announces in a clear voice that commands attention. "Take a seat." he waits for everyone to get situated and settled before continuing. "Given recent developments, the staff and I have decided to make some changes."

Whispers filter through the crowd and I can feel same tension. When Cyclops told me his plan I was surprised. I would have thought if anything Peter might be chosen for this job, this responsibility. Everyone likes Peter and he's the strongest one here.

"In the past we have only focused on **control training **for most of you; teaching you **how** to use your powers** safely**. But given the threats that exist out there, we need to adapt accordingly, so that the events of a few weeks ago are never repeated…" Everyone in the audience is agreement, a few wearing determined faces. I can tell a lot of them are hoping this means they get a chance to get even.

"Outside forces attacked us on. **In. Our. Home**. And this wasn't the** first** time." We all pause and remember how Stryker and his men broke into the mansion and kidnapped some of us. "Before we played a more passive role in fighting for mutant rights, only rising up when the need arose. That is going to change. It's now time to take things to another level and to do that we need to make some changes." Scott nods to Logan who is standing next to him and Logan steps forward.

"From this moment on, most of ya are going to be assigned to teams to receive advanced tactics and combat training." Another burst of excited chatter erupts briefly, but Logan silences it. "Scott will head up the X-men Gold unit and I'll be taking the X-men Black team." Logan looks over at Aaron and me next. "Iceman and Alpha will head up the New Mutants and X-Force respectively. These teams will have specific missions and goals they will accomplish outside of simply defense of the school. The four of us will be responsible for training you. . Rosters will be posted after lunch. If ya don't make the cut, take it as a personal challenge to** get better**. Yer dismissed."

"Alpha?" I ask Aaron as the crowd begins filing out.

"Siphon just wasn't doing it for me. Besides it's better than Badger, right?"

"Not by much…" I quip earning me a glare equal to Wolverine's.

**-Bobby's room-**

Cyclops wanted Aaron and I to work up a list of five people we wanted on our team and I am having trouble with mine. My two best friends; Colossus and Kitty were off limits because they were already X-men. Ditto for Rogue. So I had to figure out who I wanted and hope Aaron hadn't snatched up the same mutants for himself.

"Hey Popsicle, you done with your list yet?" Aaron asks from outside my door. If he's asking about mine that must mean he's already done his. I scribble four names down at random and go to answer the door.

"Quit hounding me,** Alpo**, I'm coming!"

**-Professor X's study-**

Scott has been staring at our two lists for five minutes without saying anything and the suspense is killing me. He finally looks up at the two of us and smiles, handing the list to Logan for him to review.

"Had to put yer girlfriend on yer team, eh?" Logan huffs around his unlit cigar.

Aaron leans back and chuckles. "Like you don't have Storm on your squad, or Cyclops doesn't have Marvel Girl on his…" The expressions on both their faces are priceless as Cyclops clears his throat.

"Well, you're an adult so I trust you not to take advantage of the situation… at least no more than Logan and I…" Cyclops laughs a bit himself. "All and all both of you have constructed a pretty solid group of mutants; but it will up to you to make them a **team**."

We both nod in agreement. Although my squad was kind of thrown together haphazardly, I like who I've got.

James Proudstar is almost as strong as Peter and has great tracking skills.

Sam Gunthrie is invulnerable when surrounded by his kinetic field and can punch through almost anything when he's blasting.

Rahne Sinclair is a fierce fighter in her wolf form and an additional tracker. Surge has electric charges that can be used in a variety of ways and Jubilee is well she's Jubilee.

I still can't believe that Aaron put the shape-shifter on his team though.

"Man, are you sure about her?" I ask as we leave the study and head down the hall to post the rosters.

"If you mean am I sure about her **capabilities**; yes. She'd skilled in using her powers, has already had some training and is familiar with tactics." Aaron answers stopping at the message board to pin our respective lists up.

"But…" I know a little about what happened and given the fact that he had nearly tried to kill her once I didn't understand his choice. Any of them.

He'd chosen an interesting group for his team; Sunspot, Sam's sister Paige, Vanessa, Tabitha and Rachel. I couldn't see any sort of logic in his choices, his team seemed even more randomly put together than mine.

"Drake…" Aaron sighs walking away. "If this place has taught me anything it's that redemption can only happen when you're actually **given a chance** to redeem yourself…"

_**Just when I think I've got that guy figured out…**_

"Hey… you didn't put me on your team!"

There's probably nothing more unnerving than when Kitty decides to phase through your body. First of all it itches; something you can do nothing about because the itch is on the **inside**. Secondly, it's weird as hell to see her head poking through your chest. Yet, no matter how many times I've told her this, it has not deterred her in the slightest.

"I couldn't put you on my team," I explain stepping away to allow her to disengage herself from me. "Because you are an X-man already, I would've if I could…"

"Looks like I made the squad though…"

Noriko joins us, leaning her head over my shoulder. From this distance I can smell her hair; some kind of berry scented shampoo I guess. It smells clean and sweet.

"Regained control of your powers and got your own squad in less than 24 hours; everything is coming up Bobby, huh?" Noriko asks smiling and I return it. Kitty seems like she's irritated as she storms off.

_**I guess she wanted to be on my team more than I thought…**_

"Seems like it…" I answer watching Kitty walk off. I move to follow, but Noriko steps in my path.

"So when do we start training together?" Her smile is warm and infectious and I find myself smiling with her.

"I have to work out a schedule with the other team leads… but I'll be letting you guys know soon." I glance over her shoulder and Kitty has disappeared from sight.

_**I guess I'll just catch up with her later.**_

Other mutants come up and read the board, each with their own reaction. And I wish Aaron had stayed around to see Vanessa's.

**-Danger Room, four days later-**

"Remember gang, this is a non-lethal exercise…" Cyclops warns from the control room. "Your objective is to capture the other teams' flag and get back to your side without being taken down…"

No matter how many variations of this exercise we've run through, Cyclops always treats it like it's our first.

"Just give the signal already…" Warpath groans at my side. For once I agree with the hot-tempered Native American. We'd run through several Sentinel attack scenarios these past few days in order to ramp up to working as a team. We always scored pretty high and I was looking forward to wiping the smug grin off of Aaron's face.

"Begin!" Scott announces and the environment instantly changes to a deserted city, complete with abandoned buildings and rubble.

"Okay guys just like we- wait!" Before I can give any orders both Cannonball and Warpath rush towards the opposing team. Despite the distance between us, I can make out Aaron or Alpha as I now have to call him in situations like these, with his team. Unlike my group his team waits for his orders.

"Phoenix; you're on the hick. Disorient and neutralize." Aaron orders. Rachel nods and begins to concentrate.

_**What is he going to have her do…?**_

"Sunspot, protection duty. Meltdown, you cut off the head, Husk you're with me. Copycat, take out Warpath." I watch as they move into action seamlessly and realize I haven't given any instructions of my own.

"Surge I want you on Sunspot and Phoenix, whatever she's planning on doing I need you to stop her…" I turn to Wolfsbane and Jubilee. The two of you engage Husk and I'll take on Alpha-"

"Are ye sure?" Rahne asks and I nod. Husk may be able to take the properties of any substance she touches, but she can only take one form at a time. The two them should be able to overwhelm her. Alpha is the real threat.

Being able to heal as fast as Wolverine with a set of claws to match, make him dangerous, but he's a close range fighter; I can take him out from a distance.

"Alright guys, let's get that flag!"

**XXXX**

The whole exercise was a disaster.

Rachel had managed to use Cannonball's blasting ability against us; creating in his mind the image of him knocking over his foes when he was really knocking us over. Cannonball kept us from engaging them directly; a fact I'm sure Alpha had planned on exploiting.

Cannonball smashed into Warpath twice before James decided that Sam was more of a liability than an asset and knocked him out cold. Until that moment I didn't even know that Sam could be knocked out while blasting, but apparently if enough force was applied to his kinetic field the feedback took him out.

It was now; **six against five**.

With Cannonball out of play, Noriko was making her way Sunspot and Phoenix. I had hoped that she could at least neutralize Phoenix so that we couldn't be used against each other again.

It was a nice thought.

Husk leaped from behind a building and grabbed her. In the midst of dodging Cannonball, we all lost track of her and Alpha.

"Paige, you better let go of me!" Surge warned building a charge.

"Try me girl!" Paige challenged. As I approached I could see that some of Husk flesh had torn revealing a brown tint beneath. I had a guess at what substance lay beneath.

"Wait, Surge! Don't-"

My warning was too late though as Surge poured electricity from her body, Paige's grip didn't falter. The two of them completed a circuit; Husk was literally pulling the energy from Surge's body. Surge tried to cut off the flow but wasn't able to and copper being an excellent conductor, all of Surge's power passed harmlessly through her. Until her reserves were drained dry and she collapsed.

Alpha ends up by her side. "Take a breather Husk, before you rejoin the fight." Paige nods and Aaron leaps over the two of them and continues heading towards our flag.

It's now **Five to four**.

I move to cut him off, when an explosion throws me back several feet.

"Gotcha Popsicle!" I break my fall with a snow bank and face Meltdown. Her time bombs vary in destruction and her control over them has increased. Using a few previously staged time bombs she keeps me at bay for the moment.

Jubilee and Wofsbane intercept Alpha keeping him busy. It wasn't what I had planned but at least they were keeping him from being able to grab the flag.

Vanessa stands in front of Warpath and I think; this has gotta be a win for us. Even if she takes the form of someone like Colossus, she's still at just a little over half their strength. Warpath should be able to easily over power her.

_**You've outsmarted yourself now, Alpo… you should've sent Sunspot after Warpath… at least he'd have a shot.**_

I watch curiously as Vanessa shifts into Nightcrawler.

_**She plans on teleporting to the flag!**_

"Warpath! Fall back!" He's the only one not already occupied. I've got my hands full dealing with Tabitha, Rahne and Jubes are doing their best to keep Aaron busy; I don't know how far she can teleport but I do know that none of us have a chance of stopping her right now.

"Nonsense Drake, I'll take the imposter out!" Warpath swings his massive fists at her, but tags nothing but air. She leaps, dashes and flips out of every single one of his punches, never once having to teleport.

"Hold still you imp!" Warpath rages on still attempting to lay a hand on her. Not only is she staying one step ahead of him, she's keeping my biggest gun from the match.

_**I've gotta break this up…**_

I generate an ice slide and move over to their skirmish, but before I can get too far my slide explodes underneath me. Obviously I can't do anything until I'm able to get away from Meltdown.

I enclose her in an ice dome and asses the status of my team.

Cannonball, knocked out.

Surge taken out by Husk.

Warpath uselessly swings at air, Phoenix likely clouding his mind the way she did with Cannonball. He finally connects just as she assumes Colossus' form. The force of the blow actually carrying her right to where I've encased Tabitha. Almost as if she planned it.

Sunspot instantly engages Warpath, who after flailing about with Copycat all that time is obviously not at his peak.

_**Was that your plan all along Aaron?**_

I turn back to the last place that I remember seeing Aaron, only to find both Rahne and Jubilee lying on the ground. Aaron directs Vanessa to free Meltdown. She easily smashes the dome and the three of them begin running towards the flag. I'd have to be the Flash to catch up to them now.

We're outflanked and undone and Aaron didn't even break a sweat.

Two vs. Six and Aaron's team easily makes it back to their safe zone with our flag.

**-Bobby's room, later that night-**

"Bobby, how many times are you gonna watch that?"

I know Cyclops means well, but he is pissing me off.

After the session I asked him for a tape of the exercise and he kept telling me not to dwell on it. That it was our first exercise as a team and there were bound to be some bumps. Then when he finally gave me the video he followed me to my room, telling me that watching this now wouldn't do me any good. That I wasn't in the right frame of mind to analyze it objectively.

And although he stood quietly in my doorway for the first two viewings, he spoke up now and I exploded from my seat.

"As many times as it takes!" I answer slamming my laptop closed hard enough to crack the screen.

"Bobby, you won't learn anything from watching that video you don't already know…" Cyclops comes into the room and places both hands on my shoulders. I sigh, because I felt like I let him down. I wanted to tell him was a mistake and to make someone else the leader of the New Mutants.

"If this were a real fight…" If this were a real fight we'd likely be dead and it would have been my fault.

"But it wasn't," Cyclops interrupts. "And that's exactly why we have these sessions; so we can be prepared for when things are real. But for now…" He walks over to my laptop and ejects the disk, breaking it in his hands. "This is where you make your mistakes… and learn from them."

I nod, amazed that he still has confidence in me, that he still thinks I can do the job.

"Aaron's probably laughing his ass off about this…" I mutter bitterly.

Cyclops chuckles and walks out of the room. "If he is, then you have to make sure he's not laughing long…"

**-Danger Room-**

Despite Cyclops' pep talk I'm still restless, so I head down to the Danger Room to blow off some steam.

I punch in my code for the door and get a warning.

**Aikido Program in progress… Interrupt?**

I hit the override key and come into the room. Aaron is working out with Paige.

She's coming at him fast and furious, but he deflects everyone of her attacks. Finally he grabs her hands and twists her to the floor, pressing his knee to her back. She's obviously in pain, but she doesn't cry out.

"Yield." She states simply and he releases her and helps her to her feet. She flexes her shoulder and he smiles at her. "What am I doing wrong now?"

"Not so much that you're doing anything wrong; you're just telegraphing your moves…" He answers stepping behind her. "When you go for that right cross you love so much, you're shifting your weight here." He taps her left leg to show her. "And when you follow up, it's almost always with a roundhouse kick from that same leg. While from a technical standpoint, it's exactly what you're supposed to do, it also makes your moves easy to read… let's go again."

This time she attacks him and feints with the right cross, delivering a left to the side of his head instead. Stunned Aaron drops to a knee and Vanessa kneels next to him. "I'm sorry!"

"Don't be," he responds shaking his head. "That was perfection." Paige smiles at him radiantly before helping him to his feet. "That's enough for tonight, though, I think Drake wants to use the room…" He tosses Paige a towel. "You did good today, Paige."

Paige nods and says a meek hi to me before leaving.

"What's up Drake?" Aaron asks wrapping a towel around his neck. The smirk isn't there; that cocky "I beat you" smirk he wears when he knows he got the better of you. I don't whether to be mad or relieved he's being a graceful winner.

"… how did you do it?" The question leaves my mouth before I can stop it.

"Do what?"

"My team is **clearly** more powerful than yours and I've known these guys for years, but you beat us! Easily!" I admit. I can't understand how someone who's been here just a few months managed to turn a group of people he barely knows into a fighting unit in four days. Regardless of his training, it just shouldn't be possible.

"What makes you say **your** team is more powerful?" He challenges avoiding the question.

"Come on Aaron…"

He laughs and I feel like he's going to give me one of those annoying smart ass answers of his. "Drake, there's no secret to leadership. It's the same whether you're leading men into battle or onto a basketball court; you have to know your teammates…"

"I do know my team!" I argue. "Better than you know yours."

"In light of recent flag capturing events, I beg to differ. But in the interest of debate…" Aaron holds up his hand and begins counting down from five. "**Paige**, the darling southern belle who just left, wants to be the best X-man ever. Better than her brother sure, but better than all of us. She's driven and focused. **Roberto** is terribly insecure about his powers, always worrying about how much sunlight he's absorbed, what his upper limits are and what could happen if he runs out at the wrong time. Despite all that he presses on. Because he's determined not to be the failure his father believes him to be. **Tabitha** is independent to a fault, because she's afraid that the second she lets her guard down she'll be alone. She's every bit as determined as Paige, but driven by her need to be self reliant. **Vanessa** wants to fit in, but doesn't want anyone to know it. Being able to change into anyone she wants has left her without an identity of her own. And Rachel… **Rachel** just wants to make sure that no one else suffers, like her or **because** of her."

"And all of that proves what exactly?"

"That I not only **know** my team, more importantly I know what drives them. What motivates them. What about you? What did you do with **your** preparation time?" Aaron asks, stretching his neck against the towel.

I smile proudly. "We went through five level eight Sentinel drills and couple Magneto exercises. Smoked 'em all…" In fact we posted some of the highest overall scores on the drills.

"Was that really necessary? I mean you knew the people you picked up could fight…" I frown not catching what he means. "What's the point of having them prove it to you again?"

"What did **you do**?" I ask feeling a little uneasy. He did seem to know his team pretty well, but I couldn't figure out how he managed to learn all that while fighting in the Danger Room.

"Which night?" He asks walking past me. "One night we went to a movie, another time we played some three on three, night before this we had a Madden tournament and Paige blew us all out of the water with the St. Louis Rams of all teams… girls an Xbox natural…"

I catch up to him and grab his arm, turning him to me. I can tell he doesn't like it, but I don't care.

"Don't play games with me!"

He yanks his arm from my grip and glares at me. "Because I know you're frustrated, I'm gonna let this slide…" The anger melts from his face and he looks almost sympathetic. "You were picked for a reason Drake; not because you're like me, or Wolverine or even Cyclops. You were picked because of **who you are**. But instead of trying to lead this team like **Iceman** would, you tried to be like **Cyclops**. There is only one Cyclops and you **can't** be him. Anymore than I can be Wolverine…" He chuckles a bit and I relax. "But we can be better than them, Drake. If we stop trying to walk in their shoes…"

"Even when you're being helpful, you're annoying…" I chuckle lightly. Whether he means it or not, he has a way of making you feel like an idiot for not grasping the obvious. I was trying to be someone I'm not and my team suffered because of it.

"What can I say? It's part of my charm…"

_**A/N: Little long I know and light on the Kitty/Bobby dynamic… that changes with the next chapter! Read and review please!**_


	2. Out of touch

_**A/\N: I KNOW! This took a long time! I was having difficulty capturing the flavor of Kitty Pryde and I hope I did a fairly decent job of it!**_

**-Danger Room, X-men Black Training session-**

"Shadowcat, you were undisciplined and sloppy. We've gone over this simulation so many times you should be able to run it in your sleep!"

This was the problem, of course.

I was just going through the motions during the exercise, expecting things to play out the way they always do during the simulation. Cyclops obviously added some wrinkles; which has led to the scolding I'm currently receiving.

In my time at this school, I've learned there are few things are more upsetting than the disappointed glare of Cyclops. His default setting is **supportive**; he simply doesn't know how to be critical or judgmental. Unless your name is Logan.

So when he **is** angry with you, it means you really screwed up.

I did.

Scott was really working up a sweat with this tirade, but when you've been scolded by Wolverine; you've been yelled at by the best.

His reputation as being the least sociable person here is deserved, if not completely accurate.

He's not the consoling type like Ororo.

Nor is he the big brother sort like Scott, but he cares about everyone here just as much as they do.

After Stryker attacked us in the mansion, he made it his personal responsibility to make sure all of us were trained in basic hand to hand techniques. It made sense, given that there were ways to neutralize our powers and the people who wanted to harm us the most knew them. During those sessions he was especially hard on me; singling me out time and again.

And of course, I hated him for it.

**-Danger Room, one year ago-**

"Pryde! If you give me another sloppy, lazy kick like that again I'll make you hold that pose for the next hour!"

No one in the room dared even make a sound. When Wolverine's fury is directed at someone else, you try your best to **not** be noticed. And since I tended to be the focus of his anger, my friends had become adept at it.

"Yes sir…" I mumble. Never mind that we've been at this for over an hour. My legs feel like they weigh a thousand pounds. "Not everyone has a healing factor…" I whisper as low as I possibly can.

"You say something Pryde?" With those enhanced senses of his I may as well have yelled at the top of my lungs. I know he heard me; he wanted to see if I had the guts to repeat it.

I'm tired of him always coming down on me the hardest.

He doesn't get all in Tabitha's face like this or Jaime's and they by popular consensus; suck. Rogue had the extremely unfair advantage of having an echo of Wolverine's skills and memory in her mind. So of course she excelled at these sessions. Bobby was probably the next best among us but I certainly wasn't the **worst**. The rest were sort of middle of the pack, so why am I always the one he yells at?

I didn't snap my fist the right way. I dropped my shoulder too early. My balance is off. Nothing I ever did was good enough.

"Why don't you leave me the hell alone?!"

The collective gasp that filled the room made me realize I'd said this out loud. I thought people blurting out stuff they were supposed to only think was just a plot device for movies and TV.

I guess that art really does imitate life.

All eyes turn to Wolverine to see his reaction, except mine of course. I think if I look his way I may just faint and that would be worse.

"Everyone except Pryde, clear out." Wolverine announces to the class. No one moves at first. "Don't make me repeat myself…" That seems to get the message across. Slowly everyone files out of the Danger Room. I shoot Booby a pleading glance and my heart sinks as he mouths the words: Sorry.

Once the door closes behind them I finally risk looking up at Wolverine only to find a smile on his face.

"Bout time, kid."

**-Danger Room, now-**

It wasn't until later I realized why he was so hard on me and I'm grateful for it.

"Easy, mon ami I'm sure de chile didn't-"

"It's okay Gambit…" The last thing I want is Mr. Creepy defending me. Most of the girls here literally swoon over Lebeau, but for me the fact he's like, **constantly** eye raping you is off putting. "Cyclops is right; I was… distracted and it cost the team. It **won't **happen again."

Cyclops stares at me through his visor for a beat. I hope he decides to let it go at that, because the truth is I've never been a good liar. And I would definitely have to lie to him about **why **I'm distracted in the first place.

"Everyone except Shadowcat hit the showers!" Cyclops announces clearing the room. Jean pauses to give him a warm smile and follows the rest out. It's good to see the two of them together again, but it just makes me think about my own situation.

**Everybody** in this place seems to be hooking up.

He watches everyone leave before turning back to me. "So…"

"Cyclops… is it okay if we like, don't get into the whole _**"What's the matter with Kitty" thing**_? I promise to be on my A game next time…" I watch him consider what I'm saying. It's also in Scott's nature to want to** fix** everything and I mean **everything**, even when he has no clue what's wrong.

Finally he sighs and shrugs. "Okay, but if this becomes a pattern…"

"It won't." I respond trying not to sound too relieved.

He nods stiffly and offers me a smile. "Good." He places both hands on my shoulders and the Scott we all know is back. "You're too talented to let… whatever has you upset affect you in the field. Do whatever you need to do to get a handle on it… Tomorrow we're back at it; 0900."

I manage to fight back the "Sir, yes Sir!" on my lips and simply nod. As I watch 'ol fearless leave, I remember something Ororo said to me once.

"_**Scott is great at all things tactical… for everything else Kitten… come to me…"**_

After lunch I intend to do just that.

**-Kitty's room-**

"You shoulda seen us girl! We mopped the floor with Iceman's team!"

My new roommate Paige is very excited.

Apparently X-Force had taken the win during the first inter squad training session yesterday. Her excitement was only enhanced by the fact that her brother was on the other team. I couldn't get past the fact that Bobby had his own team.

I'm so proud of him, but so far I haven't been able to get him alone to congratulate him. I didn't even know that he had started training his team yet.

There was a time when we shared everything with each other.

"Aaron's such a great leader!" Paige exclaims, brushing her hair. She goes on to detail Aaron's "brilliant" plan, but all I can think about is how things have changed.

Peter and I were his closest friends here at the school, but now, thanks to me, he and Peter rarely speak. I didn't want Bobby to hate **him** because of what happened between **us**.

The other fallout from my failed relationship is that Bobby has kept his distance from me too. At first I told myself that it was because he was still recovering from the Sentinel attack and really couldn't be around **anyone** for very long. But now that he's fully recovered, things still haven't returned to normal.

Maybe they never will.

"What was that?" I ask as I put on my shoes. I missed the last few minutes of Paige's bubbly explosion. But I heard her mention Bobby again, so I was interested.

"Jeez Kitty ya'll- **you** are so out of it today!" Paige has made it a point to disguise her southern accent, but every now and then she has a slip up. "I said that Noriko was planning on doing something to cheer up your friend Bobby. On account of him losing _**so badly**_, I wanted to know if she let you in on it…"

At the mention of Noriko, a ball of anxiety forms in my stomach and makes its way to my throat. Since we rescued her and the others from Welling's facility she's been popping up more and more in conversations. The guys liked her because of her exotic electric blue hair and her curvy athletic shape. The girls liked her because, despite all the attention she got, she never flaunted or came off as conceited.

Under normal circumstances, we'd probably be friends; but nothing at this school has ever been** normal**.

"That's… nice… she's his teammate, so of course she would want to keep his spirits up… but no she didn't mention anything to** me**…" I mutter through clenched teeth. I've seen how she looks at him; Stevie Wonder could see how she looks at him.

Even someone as dense as Bobby will get the message sooner or later and when that happens, where does that leave me?

One of the many questions I have no answer to.

"Come on; let's head downstairs before we're fighting for bologna scraps. Again…"

Paige laughs and I do my best to laugh with her.

**-Ororo's garden, after lunch-**

"How long have you felt this way?"

I instantly think back to the first time we were really alone together...

"_**Storm told us to stay in our rooms…"**_

"_**Don't worry, we won't get caught…I mean you can walk through walls you know…"**_

After Bobby took me on an impromptu ice-skating trip around the school fountain, things changed for me.

I thought it was sweet that he would take the time to try and cheer me up.

He was the first guy at the school who even gave me a second glance. Once it got around that Kitty was not _**"giving it up"**_ as Roberto once put it, I became the de facto little sister of every male at the school.

This meant I was largely ignored and only spoken to for information on the more "outgoing" girls at the school. He made the effort to be nice to me and I definitely appreciated it. It doesn't hurt that he is extremely easy on the eyes.

That solid, athletic frame.

Those piercing, blue eyes.

His sandy brown hair.

But he was with Marie then and I was still nursing my school girl crush on Peter; the timing was off.

"For a while now, I guess…" I manage, trying to sound more nonchalant than I actually feel. It wasn't until things ended between me and Peter… until Bobby almost died… that my eyes finally opened all the way. But now that they have, I can't figure out what to do next.

"And how does he feel?" Ororo asks, carefully clipping a sickly Amaryllis.

Everything you need to know about Ororo you can find out by spending one afternoon in her garden with her. She's caring, nurturing and patient with her flowers, the same way she is with all of us. It's why I've always felt so comfortable coming to her with my problems.

And she's always been willing to help.

"I don't know…" I answer glancing over to the basketball court where the subject of our discussion is engaged in a game with his new rival; Aaron. Maybe Aaron has taken the place of Peter, filling the role of big brother. Even from here I can hear them egging each other on; if you didn't know them you'd think there was a chance they eventually would come to blows.

And Bobby is probably the only one at this school who would **want** to take on the son of Wolverine. That thought makes me smile.

"Do you wish to?" She asks removing her gloves to create a small shower above the flowers. It's been a particularly dry fall and I doubt that her plants would be able to flourish so well without her assistance.

"Of course!" I'd give anything to end the torture I put myself through every time I look at him. If it hadn't been for the Sentinel attack on the mansion I might already know.

"Truly?" She asks raising her eyebrow.

I knew what she was getting at.

I've never been the best at facing my problems head on.

When my abilities first manifested, I hid from them, denied them as long as I could.

Even when the Professor first came to me about them I told **him** he was **mistaken**. I'm amazed he didn't laugh his head off at the audacity.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I was holding out hope that these gifts would just go away if I never used them. That I could go back to my nice **quiet** life in Deerfield, be with my normal friends and revel in the mundane. Even during my first few weeks at the school I refused to use my abilities.

Storm helped a lot during those first few months, she became like the big sister I never had.

But I'm different now; I'm not a scared little girl any more.

"Even if it meant finding out that he didn't feel the same way… yes… I want to know. It's just… I don't want to be the one to make the first move…" I thought it would come across as desperate if I just walked up to him and told him how I felt. Plus, given the nice guy that he is, he'd likely say **yes** even if he meant **no**, just to spare my feelings. "What made Wolverine … you know… make a move…?" I ask deciding to switch gears.

The smile that lights up her face is indescribable.

If you asked me a few months ago who the most unlikely, mismatched couple would be, the two of them would have topped the list. But seeing them together now it seems so obvious they were made for each other. Given their seemingly smooth transition from teammates to lovers, I hoped to learn something from her experience.

"That's easy, Kitten.** I** was the one who made the move."

She laughs as my jaw drops. All this time I thought that Logan had pursued her. After all he was the one that went after Dr. Grey with reckless abandon. But now that I think about it I didn't see him openly flirting with Ororo the way he did with Jean. Still: "Really?"

"Yes." She answers looking over at me, still smiling. "It didn't go smoothly by any means…" She laughs, picking up on my thoughts. "Logan did not see me as someone who would be interested in him and I did not know how to **make** him see I was. He only saw our differences, not our similarities. Much like everyone else. Left to his own devices he likely would have **never **come after me. I imagine that Bobby may be in the same category."

Thinking about it, I can't help but see some truth in her assessment. We had a lot in common, but we'd played the friendship role so long, maybe I missed my window. Maybe would never see me in that way.

"Well that just sucks…" I grumble, taking stock of my feet.

Ororo laughs that musically light laugh of hers and forces me to look at her. "Men are many things, Kitten. They are strong, bold, protective; intelligent… they have many admirable traits. But when it comes to matters of the heart, matters concerning intimacy, many are still-"

"Emotional morons?" I offer with a giggle.

"Not my exact choice of words… but yes. So at times it falls to us to make it clear that we **wish to be pursued** and then they will **chase us**." She returns giggling lightly.

Girls like Tabitha and Dr. Grey never seem to have that problem. In fact, their problem seems to be getting men to **stop** chasing them. I point this out to Ororo, who frowns a bit before answering.

"There are certain women who crave… attention... They will **always** get it Kitten, but women like you and I… we're more… selective. This means we will never be the girl **all** the guys fawn over. But that's not what we want anyway is it?" She asks studying my face trying to see my reaction.

"No." I wouldn't care if no other guy in this school ever spoke to me again as long as the **one** that did was Bobby. And I could tell she was the same way when it came to Logan.

"Then let the Jean Grey's and Tabitha Smith's of this world have all the boys; as long as the Logan's and Bobby Drake's aren't among them…" She finishes with a wink.

I'm definitely feeling better about the situation. I decide I'm not gonna worry about how it looks, I'm just going to lay everything out in the open. Bobby and I were nearly adults. In fact, the argument could be made that given all that we've been through in our lives makes us more mature than adults twice our age.

"If I can stare down a two story robot bent on death and destruction and not blink, then I should be able to tell a boy I like him... right?"

Ororo places a hand on my shoulder and smiles. "I know you can. And I know you will..."

I nod and decide to do it now, while I still have the nerve.

That's when I look up to see Noriko purposely walking over to the basketball courts.

**-Basketball Courts-**

"Come on, Bobby, it'll be fun!"

I arrive in time to see Noriko, Bobby and Aaron talking together. Aaron notices me right away, I guess there's no sneaking up on those senses of his. Bobby has his back to me but he seems uncomfortable. A fact that Aaron is obviously exploiting.

"Yeah, **Bobby**," Aaron nudges Bobby. "It'll be fun!"

"What will be?" I announce my presence with a question, Bobby smiles at me the way he always does. Outside I'm my usual cool, collected self. Inside I'm ten seconds from exploding. Five, if I find out Noriko's asking Bobby out on a date.

"Hey, Kitty. Nori was just asking-"

"-**Inviting**." Aaron corrects, no doubt enjoying the situation Bobby is currently in, even if Bobby himself isn't.

"I thought it would be nice if we all went to see a Knicks game together, you know, the whole New Mutant squad… but Bobby acts like I offered him front row seats to an autopsy… instead of courtside tickets to a basketball game."

Aaron and I share a knowing smile and a wave of relief hits me.

Bobby is one of the most athletic guys here. He plays every sport you can think of and has, on occasion made up a couple, like the ever popular Iceketball. But he doesn't actually **watch** sports.

It became a well-known fact during the Super Bowl of two years ago.

It's a standing rule at the house that, unless otherwise reserved, whoever gets to the TV room first has right of viewing options. Well no one thought to reserve time for the Super Bowl, since **everyone** watches it.

Except Bobby, who had not only gotten to the media room first, but was four hours deep into a Stargate marathon he had no intention of stopping. Despite the passionate urgings of his fellow mutants, his resolve was unshakable.

Because of the brawl that followed, the day of the Super Bowl is now set aside as reserved.

And **everyone** in the mansion knows; **Bobby Drake does not watch sports**.

"Yeah, Bobby that **does** sound like fun…" I add deciding to tease him a bit myself. "After all with Stoudemire and Carmelo both healthy, the Knicks are actually contenders this year… and it'll be good to get out of the mansion…"

The blank look on his face tells me Bobby has no idea who either of them is, but Noriko doesn't pick up on it.

"Thank you Kitty! Plus ever since they added Tyson Chandler they can even play a little defense now…" Obviously Noriko had more of a passing familiarity with the NBA. Again; under different circumstances... but right now we were rivals, even if I'm the only one that knows it.

"Bobby; as team leader, you really need to spend quality time with your team mates…" I add, smiling at him. His icy blue eyes flash a bit of irritation but I keep smiling. Bobby loves to pull pranks, so I figure this is just payback. I can't count how many times I've bitten into frozen food or gotten hit with a snow ball in the middle of August. I kind of felt justified given him a hard time.

"Kitty-"

"No Drake, maybe Pryde has a point…" Aaron chimes in. "I mean, considering how my team_** roasted**_ you guys the other day… you can use any edge you can get…"

I shoot Aaron an angry glare. I have no problem teasing Bobby, but that was hitting below the belt. If I know Bobby he was likely agonizing over that loss even now. The last thing I wanted to do was make him feel bad. Noriko looked like she wanted to fry him where he stood.

"You're right guys. It sounds like a** great **idea, Noriko. Gives us a chance to see how super stars like Studmire and Charmello work together as a team…" Bobby states nodding. "May give our team some keys to gelling as a unit…."

My mouth drops open for the second time today. If I keep this up my jaw may permanently unhinge.

"**Stoudemire** and **Carmelo**…" Aaron corrects. "And Drake you can't be serious. You hate-"

"-Missing an opportunity to bond with my teammates? Yes Aaron, I **do** hate that. Noriko, when are the tickets for?"

"Tomorrow night!" She practically squeals in delight. "Ms. Blaire called in a favor for us…"

"Well if you ever want to be able to ask her for a favor again, don't let her hear you call her 'Ms. Blaire'…"

She and Bobby share a laugh and I feel somehow worse than before.

"We should get together as a team before dinner. Iron out our plans…" Bobby was obviously enjoying the looks of confusion on our faces. "I gotta hit the showers... but let's meet up in the common room in about an hour..."

Noriko nods her head a little too emphatically. "I'll round everyone up boss!" Noriko waits until Bobby is out of sight before attacking me with the world's most unwanted hug. "Thanks Kitty! I don't think I could have convinced him if you hadn't helped…" She whispers in my ear.

She scampers away happily and I feel dirty.

"Man... things are not going well for you at all today, huh?" Aaron asks smugly.

"That depends: if I phase you halfway into this black top and let you go, will you grow new legs?"

**-Later-**

Among Aaron's enhanced senses, he must also have some sort of warning sense, like Spiderman, because he wisely leaves me on the basketball court without another word.

Dinner is a lively affair, with mansion buzzing with the news that Tony Stark, billionaire industrialist is coming tomorrow. The only one who didn't seem genuinely excited was Alison, but that's to be expected.

I spend most of the dinner sneaking glances at Bobby's table.

He seems so at ease with his team… so at ease without me in his life…

After fulfilling my basic nutrient requirement, I head down to the Danger Room to fill my basic violence requirement.

I decide to load up one of Logan's training programs.

When Scott lost Jean, he went into a heavy mourning period. It surprised all of us that Logan had taken over most of Scott's training duties. During that time he took a personal interest in my fighting skills. Or lack thereof.

"_**Ya can't phase through all your problems Pryde; at some point ya gon' have to stand and fight…"**_

I don't know what was worse. The stench of the cigar smoke he was always blowing in my face, or the fact he was right. But by the time he finished with me, I felt pretty good about my combat skills.

"Rahh!" I grunt as I lay out the last enemy with a hard right cross. In my anger I didn't land the punch cleanly. I wince as pain throbs in my wrist.

"Gonna pay for that tomorrow, kid."

I can't help but yelp at the gruff voice behind me. "Jeez, Wolverine! You trying to, like, give me a heart attack or something?" In reality I should have expected this visit. The only person who spent more time in the Danger Room then Logan was Hank and that was only because he was always repairing or updating the systems.

"Shoulda heard me coming, kid. Or did I waste my time training ya?" He steps from the shadows pressing the control panel on the wall to stop the simulation. The recently unconscious Toad fades as if he was never there to begin with.

"You wanna find out?" I respond dropping into a fighting stance and facing him. Part of me is screaming that I must be out of my mind, but the other side is dying for someone to hurt. There's only so much satisfaction you can get from pummeling hard light 3-D images. No matter how life like they seem.

He raises an eyebrow of amusement at me, before uncrossing his arms. "Careful, Kitten, I-"

I hit him as hard as I can in the nose. I know better than to try that Adamantium jaw of his.

I catch him by surprise and he staggers back briefly. The satisfaction I feel at mashing his nose is short-lived. He tackles me with uncanny speed, pinning my arms to the floor. I phase from his grip and he leaps away, allowing us to face each other again.

He rubs his already healed nose and smirks. "You never used to hit that hard before…"

I smile back. "Forge gave me the idea…" I admit.

It was his theory that if by concentrating I could turn myself intangible, then by the same token I should be able to increase my density beyond normal as well. It was hard at first; like trying to solve a math problem with your right hand and writing a poem with your left, but eventually I got a handle on it.

I couldn't go as dense as Peter, but I'd been able to get close to three times normal density. It didn't increase my strength but it did make me more durable.

Logan snorts. "Figures…" He watches me warily, no doubt noticing that I'm still on edge. "Okay Pryde, ya obviously got some anger to get out so here's what we'll do…" He backs towards the entrance, still keeping both eyes on me. I feel a bit of pride at the fact that he considers me an opponent that he needs to keep his eyes on. "Load Savage One…"

I'm familiar with this program. He used it to give me, Peter and Bobby a crash course in stealth and evasion. We had to survive as long as we could without using our powers while he stalked us. It was both exhilarating and scary at the same time but tonight I didn't want to play this game, I wanted to hit something.

Someone.

"I'm not really in the mood to play hide and seek, Wolverine…"

"Good. Cause we ain't playing games…" He charges at me with speed that should be impossible. I mean the guy is literally carrying around two hundred plus pounds of the densest metal known to man in his body. Yet I'm barely able to duck the haymaker that he tosses my way. Ditto the front kick that would likely split me in two as easily as his claws.

If you made the mistake of judging Wolverine by his rough exterior, you'd assume he was simply a brawler. Until you actually faced off against him. Over his lifetime he's learned and mastered so many forms of hand to hand combat he's melded them into a style all his own. It's like a hodgepodge of Ali, Bruce Lee and Jason Bourne. Either way you gonna end up unconscious or worse.

I unleash a series of combinations that I just used to take out a Toad and he avoids each blow effortlessly. Still wearing that same cocky smirk as he does. He knows my moves; he taught me them so I have to be able to improvise.

I feint left and try to sweep his legs, but he sees it coming a mile away and steps back. In anger I swing wildly.

"Unh!" He manages to tag my shoulder with a nerve strike, doesn't hurt much, but I'll need a forklift to move my left arm for the next ten minutes. Provided I last that long.

_**Stupid! You can't afford to make mistakes like that!**_

"You can quit this any time Kit-" My foot finds his midsection, cutting his insult short. Unfortunately I let my foot linger a second too long and he grabs it and flips me in the air. With an arm already useless, it's gonna be tough to break my fall gracefully. Twisting in the air I manage to right myself and land on my feet. Using the momentum, I spring forward into Logan.

If he had decided to simply stand there, I likely would have bounced off him, instead he rolls with it and allows me to pin him to the floor. Too late I realize his intent.

He flips me over and his weight is oppressive. Twin claws extend on either side of my neck.

"Phase or die, Pumpkin…"

"I choose option C…" I drive my knee as hard as I can into his groin. Dirty play, I know, but it has the desired effect. I scramble from underneath him, trying desperately to get my other arm to work. I look over at my opponent utterly disgusted that he's not even winded. "Stinkin' healing factor…"

"You better be glad that I got it, darlin'. Anyone else might have some permanent damage…"

I snort. "You think I'm scared of you?"

"Ain't me ya gotta worry about…" He chuckles and realization dawns on me. Anyone who thinks Logan has a bad temper, haven't seen **Ororo** mad. "End program…"

"Who says I was done?" I ask defiantly. I want to sound brave or at least angry, but the fact is I'm sore, tired and going another round with him is the last thing I wanna do.

He looks at me with that same amused look. "Come on, girl…" He grabs my left arm and presses hard in a few places and I feeling starts to return to my left hand. "Cyke told me about what happened earlier… but I doubt that's what's gotcha punching everything that moves…"

I sigh and slide to the floor in an exhausted heap. "It's stupid…"

Logan snorts and squats in front of me. "Maybe… but whatever it is has you willing to risk life and limb sucker punching me…"

I chuckle a bit. "You couldn't hurt me if you wanted to. Besides...I'm your favorite student."

"What happened to the insecure quiet girl who used to sleep with a teddy bear and a night light…?"

**-Kitty's Room-**

"_**She grew up..."**_

My answer to Logan kept running through my head, but Wolverine, not to allow anyone the last word, did me one better.

"_**Then act like it..."**_

I guess I had that coming.

Here I was pouting over Bobby showing Noriko more attention than me, when he had no idea that I wanted anything more than friendship from him in the first place.

Should he know that I care about him as more than a friend? Maybe. But I can't condemn him because he doesn't.

And I also can't hate Noriko because she's interested in him.

He's handsome, fun and intelligent and he saved her life. If she didn't have some feelings for him then I'd worry.

"Kitty, quit pacing and go to bed! We both got a training session in the morning!"

Paige was right, but I couldn't sleep.

_**A/N: Updates will come quicker I promise! To everyone following and reading any feedback is welcome and appreciated!**_


	3. Shocks and aww

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay people**_

**-Applebee's, Westchester-**

"I can't believe Shumpert blew those two free throws!"

"Yeah Sam, like **you **would have dropped them in no problem!"

"I would have!"

The Knicks lost by one point and John and Sam had been dissecting the game ever since we left the arena. The truth is they lost that game about four minutes before that as far as I'm concerned. They were up by five points when they decided that to start jacking up long jumpers. The Nets went on a 15-2 run to close out the game.

"Did you enjoy the game Bobby?"

Noriko startles me a bit. She's leaning very close to me probably because it's so loud. At least that's why I assume she's sitting so close.

"Yeah… uh it was fine… I mean good… fun you know?"

Noriko laughs. "Bobby Drake! How can someone who plays every sport known to man hate watching them so much?"

I return her laugh. I guess it does seem kind of silly when you think about it. "I don't** hate** watching… It's just… imagine you were a concert pianist and you had to attend a kindergarten recital and listen to chopsticks all day-"

"So in this scenario you're Michael Jordan and we're asking you to watch a pick up game between a bunch of uncoordinated pre school kids?"

"Ye- No wait…" She's quick, I'll give her that. "It's not that I think I'm so great, it's just watching people make mistakes that I can do nothing about... always bothered me."

"And Aaron and Kitty were having a good time teasing you about… I thought they were trying to help make my case…" Noriko pouts a little and I smile at the memory. It was nice to have fun and joke around with Kitty again like we used to.

To say things have been strained would be an understatement, but there was some light at the end of the tunnel. We were on our way back to being friends and who knows with a little time, maybe more.

At least that's what I wanted, but I definitely didn't want to be the rebound guy.

"What dya think Drake?" Sam's question interrupts my musings and I look up to see all eyes on me. I had been paying some attention to their exchange. I knew they were trying to figure out how the Knicks found a way to lose a game they had been dominating from the beginning.

Suddenly I have an idea. I can use this as a moment to draw a comparison to our current situation. Scott often takes the encouragement approach when he needs us to understand something. Logan is more of the do what I say kind of guy, but like Aaron said; I need to be who** I** am.

"The Knicks lost the game, not because they were less talented, but because the Nets believe in their leader."

"That makes no sense, Drake." John spats annoyed. I knew he would have the toughest time grasping what I meant. The best player on the floor was Carmelo Anthony; there's no question about that, but that wasn't the point. In my opinion, he didn't know a thing about how to lead a team.

The problem is, in his tribe, only the strongest, fiercest warriors led. They had elders, sure, but they took an advisory role. When the fighting started, when the blood-letting began, it was the strongest who took the lead. Herein lay the problem between him and me, the issue within our team.

He may have accepted that this is **my** team, but since he considers himself the strongest, he doesn't respect my position as leader. And when one member of the team refuses to listen, it creates a rift within the group. I could tell they were torn between listening to me and just following John.

I could square off against him, show him that my abilities extend beyond ice sculptures and snowballs, but I'd rather it not come to that.

"Being the most talented, or _**thinking**_ you're the most talented, doesn't make you singularly qualified to lead the team."

John crosses his arms and leans back. "Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kobe- all the most talented players on their teams; all of them are the **unquestioned** leaders of their teams."

All eyes were on us. This was an argument that everyone realized extended beyond the game tonight, beyond sports period. And if I was going to have a chance to make this a _**real **_team, I needed to win this.

"Who's more talented out of LeBron and Wade?" I ask, meeting his gaze. True I didn't watch much sports, but like the Super Bowl, I was forced to watch the NBA Finals, so I knew a little about certain players.

John's face drops a bit. "Well... I mean... obviously LeBron is..." I can tell he doesn't like where this is going. To be honest, I'm not sure I did either. Jubes. Rahne and Noriko, may get lost if I don't make my point soon.

"But Wade is the unquestioned leader of that team, while not being the most talented..."

John leans across the table. "Because LeBron is too much of a punk to take up the role!"

"Or maybe John, he understands that in order for **him** to be successful; both individually and as a team, he needs to take a supporting role. Perhaps, he's humble enough to see that it's better for him not to be the one calling the shots, even if he feels he's the best player." I can see John starting to contemplate this. "To win," I look at the faces around the table and note I have everyone's attention. "Everyone on the team has to be committed to doing things _**one way**_... it's not about imposing your own will. It's about agreeing to a team goal and a team strategy. That's what makes dynasties." I look back at John. "That's what makes winners..."

"Why do Ah get the feeling we ain't talkin' bout basketball no mo'...?" Sam adds smiling.

I nod and smile, thankful that Sam set me up with the perfect segue. "X-Force mopped the floor with us the other day…" Everyone at the table instantly looks down and I'm glad. It means they hated losing as much as I did. "Because they had a strategy and they _**followed**_ it. Aaron may be one of the most deadly people on earth, but on a team with Roberto, Rachel and Vanessa, the argument could be made he's not even the **third** most powerful member of his own team...But everyone on his team followed his commands; **to the letter** and they were successful. They believed in him, they trusted him and they won."

**-Xavier Institute, kitchen-**

We talked more in the restaurant and on the ride home and I felt good about the way things ended up.

Begrudgingly John agreed to try things my way. Of course, if we weren't successful, I may end up having to have a less amicable conversation with him, but that was tomorrow's headache. Tonight I was gonna celebrate with a little Oreo Cookie Ice Cream and some STNG.

_**If I can find it that is…**_

"I think Rogue finished off the pint cookie the other day..."

"Of course she did... Oh! Hey, Noriko!" All the blood rushed out of my face as I turn from the freezer. There Noriko was, standing in very snug blue t-shirt and I'm fairly certain nothing else.

"Hey, Popcicle..." She smiles easing past me to peak in the freezer herself. "I think there's some chocolate at the bottom here though..." Thankfully she squats, rather than bend over to retrieve the buried pint.

You'd have to be blind not to see that Noriko is beautiful, especially now that she's a hundred percent healthy. When we rescued her and the others from the facility, they were all a little underfed and not in the best shape hygienically, although even then, you wouldn't have kicked her out of the room.

"Here ya go Drake," She smiles that radiant smile of hers handing me the container. "But I'd go easy with the late night snacking... don't want this six-pack to turn into a keg..." She playfully pats my stomach. I then am acutely aware that all that is separating us from being naked is two t-shirts and a pair of gym shorts. I take a nervous step backward.

"I don't think _**anyone**_ here is in danger of that..." I laugh trying to ease the tension I feel. Something about this girl turned me into a babbling idiot. It wasn't just her smile or her well-proportioned body, although those things helped, it was something I couldn't put my finger on. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing in the world putting her on my team in the first place. I mean, I chose her because of her power set and her skill, not because I think she's cute, but there's no denying she has an effect on me.

"Guess that's true... I mean the way Tabby eats she oughta be a thousand pounds by now right?" She giggles, covering her mouth in that cute way girls do.

"Don't let her hear you say that!" I add with a wink and we laugh together. I feel the ball of tension in my stomach ease up a little bit.

So what I think she's attractive? It's not like literally everyone in this house over the age of sixteen wasn't damn near gorgeous. Even Rahne had a beauty about her, despite her shyness. If I made my personell decisions on who I don't find attractive I'd have a team of dudes.

And who wants that?

"I was going to watch a little TV, you wanna join me?"

She frowns and my heart actually sinks a little wondering if she's going to say no. "The two big screen TV's are already taken. All the guys are in the media room watching Sportscenter and most of the girls are watching "Real housewives of Who cares anyway" in the living room..."

"I know of another place we can watch TV... if you dare..." Okay, now I am officially flirting.

By her smile I can tell she doesn't mind. "Lead the way Mr. Drake."

**-Institute gym, lounge area-**

Once, when Professor Logan was pretty buzzed, I saw him stumble down here to the gym. I thought he was going to get a work out in and I wanted to join him. He may not have the best disposition all the time, but when it came to training he was always open for a session. After Stryker invaded the mansion, he took every opportunity he could to train us. Most of the kids here dreaded it, but I always enjoyed pushing myself.

By the time I reached the gym area I noticed he was staring at a wall. The very same one I'm now staring at. I just hope I can remember where the panel is.

"Okay, Drake… don't tell me this wall turns into a flat screen?"

I don't answer; I just smile and run my hand along the wall until I find the special grove I saw him touch the first time. A section of the wall sinks in and slides silently to the left.

"Whoa…" Noriko whispers in awe. "I didn't know there was a lounge down here..."

"Stick with me my dear, I'll show ya some things."

She links her arm in mine, leaning her head on my shoulder. "Then by all means, lead the way."

Logan had been in a particularly generous mood that night, going so far as to offer me one of the beers he'd carried down with him. After declining I took up a spot on the sofa and watched an old Clint Eastwood "The man with no name" marathon with him. When the movies were over he turned to me and in the deepest snarl he could muster he cautioned me:

"_**Don't tell no one about this."**_

I took that to mean about us bonding over a couple of westerns, not the room itself. Although Noriko is the first person that I've brought down here.

"So who else have you brought down to your little hidden spot?" Noriko asks putting her feet in my lap leaning on the other side of the couch. For a moment I find myself distracted by how comfortable she is with me already. Because the position she's in now causes her shirt to slide up slightly, confirming that she is at least wearing underwear. I'm not sure if I'm disappointed or relieved.

"Uh… no one…" I sputter trying to focus on the channels on TV.

_**This was not a good idea.**_

I glance over at her licking her spoon and shake my head. Do girls really eat ice cream like that or is it all just to tease guys?

_**Definitely NOT a good idea…**_

"Sure, Drake…" She laughs holding her hand out for the remote. I hand it over, if for no other reason then I hope channel surfing will keep her from ice cream consumption. "I bet you bring all the ladies down here. Especially the ones that are crushing on you."

"Nobody's crushing on me." Rogue was the only one who ever really showed any interest in me, and that was mainly because I showed interest in her. All the rest of the girls here were just my friends. A fact I am oh so painfully aware of.

"Boys are SO clueless!" She chuckles finally settling on a channel. "I could run off the names of the girls I know have a thing for you… but I don't want to blow your head up."

"Right…" I snort, still unconvinced. The commercial ends and I notice she turned to the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" marathon I had planned on watching. "You a Trekkie?"

She laughs, sliding her feet under my thighs, obviously looking to keep them warm. "No. But you are, so maybe you could change my mind about it…?"

Something about her voice, the way she says that, makes all the blood rush to my face. "We could… ah… always watch something else…" I reach for the remote, but she clutches it behind her back playfully. She means for me to try and take it from her, even someone as "clueless" as I am can pick up on that.

I take the bait.

In our struggle she manages to keep the remote from me by giving me a mild shock every time I get close to prying it free. The frequency of the shock doesn't hurt, in fact it feels good. After a few moments I realize I've stopped trying to get the remote. I still make a token effort, but at this point I'm only using it as an excuse to stay close to her.

That doesn't stop her from sending pleasurable little impulses along my skin, her eyes fixed on mine. I never thought her electrical powers could be used in this way. If I were in my right mind I would wonder where she learned such a technique.

"Noriko…" I groan slightly. This game has escalated into something much more and she knows it. So I need to put a stop to it. I try to slowly ease away but she grabs my arm lightly.

"Yes…?" She practically vibrates under me. I wonder if she's getting some sort of feedback from me. That thought gives me the ability to sober up enough to try and create some distance between us. Her hand grasps my arm to hold me in place. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know…" I mutter confused. I know what my body wants; in fact I'm pretty sure she can see that for herself at this point. But this is not the right situation or time for this. "I know that I need to cool off a bit though…"

She laughs softly, lying back, exuding a sex appeal I had no idea she had. "_**Iceman**_ needs to _**cool **_off…" She looks back at me seriously. "Maybe the problem is we need to get that temperature up…"

"Noriko…"

"I like how you say my name…" She sits up to face me and her fingers scratch my chin. "Say it again…"

Like gravity, my mouth closes in on hers, helped by her hand pulling me closer. "Noriko…"

"Thought I made myself clear, bub."

With speed that would have made Flash proud, I leap to my feet. "Professor Logan!"

"Oh, so you do remember who I am?" Logan smirks and Ororo tries her best not to laugh. Obviously the two of them came down here because the TV's upstairs were in use. The great thing about the adults here is most of the time they gave us our space. They didn't exactly encourage relations between students, but they understood it was bound to happen. We spend almost all of our time around each other, sooner or later kids are gonna start hooking up.

Of course, like most adults they had no desire to actually witness said hook ups first hand.

Ororo stops smiling once she sees how little Noriko has on in the way of clothing and takes the blanket wrapped around her shoulders and hands it to her. "Wrap yourself in this Noriko and come with me please."

Obviously this is not up for debate and Noriko has been here long enough to know it. She gives me look of disappointment before following Ororo from the room.

Logan stands in front of me, arms folded, eyes focused on me like lasers. The silence that fills the room is unbearable, but I refuse to be the one to break it. Logan is equally motivated, content to just breathe in and out smoothly, his expression devoid of any emotion at all. It's no surprise that I lose the battle and speak first.

"We weren't doing anything!" Once the words leave my lips, I almost chuckle at how ridiculous they sound. I wish I could have held out a little longer.

"**Yet**." He answers simply. "You weren't doing anything _**YET**_. But if me and 'Ro had decided to go for a drive instead of veg in front of a TV? Or if she had taken five minutes longer finding that blanket? That_** nothing **_woulda became sumthin'..."

It would be easier to land a spacecraft on the moon than it would be to lie to Logan. Safer as well. So I opt for the truth. "Maybe, but we're both... you know of age... or whatever..." You would think I wasn't in the top five percent of my class the amount dumb crap I'm spewing tonight.

Logan shakes his head. "Ain't da point and you know it, Drake. Girls' been through an awful experience, sumthin' I'm sure none of us know the full details about..." He lets that thought linger for a moment before continuing. "She trusts us, trusts _**you**_ cause you rescued her-"

"I didn't take advantage of her!" I whisper harshly figuring that's where he was going with this.

Logan raises an eyebrow and his voice goes hard as the metal covering his bones. "Kid, if I thought for a minute ya did, you'd be short an appendage that you'd miss every day of what passes for the rest of your life."

Taking a moment to shudder a bit I ask timidly. "Then why-?"

"Cause yer the leader of the New Mutants, thas why! Cause when you put on that uniform o' yers with the X on it, ya stand fer something bigger than yourself!" Logan explodes, clearly having lost what little patience he does have.

I should feel shame, maybe even a little guilt, but instead all I feel is anger. "Storm is on your team, Marvel Girl is on Scott's team, and even Aaron has Rachel on his team! What makes it any different than-!"

"Come on Drake, you know the difference..." This time there's disappointment in his voice and now I do feel shame. I did know the answer to my own question. Those relationships were established well before the teams were. Once I made the decision to put Noriko on my team, I took any romantic possibility off the table. Knowing that I should have never put myself in this position made it worse.

"Okay, I get it." I return defeated. Truthfully, until tonight I hadn't even thought of Noriko that way. My mind had been on Kitty. But Noriko was the first girl who actually went after me and I can't deny I liked it.

"Get what?" Logan asks clearly still not convinced.

I don't want to say it out loud, even though that's clearly what he wants. "_**I get it**_ and I'll take care of it." I'm still a little pissed off at the whole situation, but I understood. Starting a new relationship is hard enough, but trying to start one like this: nearly impossible. Too many things had to go perfectly for there to be any chance of it working out. And what in the life of a teenager ever goes smoothly?

Logan nods, seeing he doesn't have to press things further, but that doesn't mean he's done talking to me. He grabs my arm as I try to walk by him. "Do you have feelings for this girl?"

That was a loaded question. The short answer was yes, but that doesn't mean I've given up on Kitty. My silence is enough for him.

"Pryde." He nods simply.

"Wha-? I mean- is it-?"

"Obvious?" Logan chuckles this time genuinely amused. "Only to me and a few others..."

I groan realizing who one of those others must be. "Aaron is never going to let me hear the end of this, is he?"

Logan puts a consoling arm on my shoulder. "Nope."

**-Bobby's room, later on-**

I caught up to Noriko after Logan's "pep talk" and tried to explain things to her. She didn't take it well. Several times I had to tell her to keep her voice down and a couple times she nearly electrocuted me where I stood.

I understood where she was coming from.

In all my talking and explaining, I never once admitted to having feelings for her. Just that for the sake of the team we needed to nip this in the bud. I'm not sure when I began talking like a forty year old man, much less thinking like one.

When she left me to head to her room, I know that at the very least I am not one of her favorite people the moment .

Now all I can do is wonder how far things could have gone. What I would've let happen.

Marie and I hadn't gone terribly far for obvious reasons and before her there wasn't anyone else, so I had no reference for comparison. Would I have really gone all the way with a girl I barely know?

Regardless, I made the right decision and not just because it's the one that Logan wanted me to make. Things were already fragile enough with the New Mutants as it is. Adding this sort of drama to the equation was not what we needed.

The aftermath of tonight will be on display in the training we have scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

"Should be a blast..." I groan from my bed.

"Go to sleep already, Drake!"

**-Danger Room, the next day-**

Training goes better than I could have hoped.

The group seemed to respond to our talk last night and when we run through the same "capture" drill from before the out come is much different.

Even though it was against a simulated X-Force squad, the strategy I tried to implement previously worked to perfection. The most satisfying part, other than laying Aaron out with a frozen fist combination, was the look on my teams' faces. Very different from the expressions of doubt and frustrations they wore the other day. Simulation or no, this win will give the team tremendous confidence going forward.

Everyone followed their cues precisely, moving as a unit through the other team. The way I diagrammed things everyone played a pivotal role in the success, so everyone got the chance to feel useful.

I end the session with a cool down and performance review; highlighting the teams' strengths and points for improvement. For once I get through it without any groans of protest.

Everyone is bubbling with excitement as we head for the locker rooms.

"Ah can't wait to try these moves out on those smug X-Farces!" Sam laughs at his own corny joke and Rahne chuckles along with him.

I just nod and smile. They may be feeling confident now, but going against the real thing will be different. Aaron is a great leader and a strategist, unlike his computer generated counterpart; he'd be able to adjust on the fly. So our success would hinge on whether the confidence they have now is not just in themselves but in me as a leader. If things go bad, I need to know that they won't just revert to type.

"So now you believe in our leader, John?" Noriko slinks behind the two of us, slipping her arm in John's. I'd be lying if I didn't say the act bothered me, even though I know it's to make me jealous. But since she's asking the same question I had been thinking about myself, I keep my cool and wait.

John snorts and for a moment I think he's going to say something harsh, but he surprises me. "Drake is a good leader." Both Noriko and I open our mouths in shock. "I mean he's no Cyclops or Wolverine; he's kind of a dork, but he's alright."

_**That's more like it.**_

"Thanks John, I know that's as close as you come to giving a compliment." John laughs and deftly slips from Noriko's grip to turn into our locker room. I try to follow and do not succeed.

"Hey _**Boss**_, got a second?"

"Sure." The others pass by us without incident. I wonder how long before the whispers begin. "What's up Noriko?"

She waits until the hallway clears, before her expression changes. "Are we pretending nothing happened now?"

Sighing heavily I take another look around before answering. "I think that may be for the best..."

Noriko looks away, nervously running a hand through her blue hair. At least today she's not as angry as she was last night. "What if I don't agree?"

"Noriko..."

"You know what Ororo tried to tell me?" Noriko whispers harshly trying to keep her emotions in check. "She told me that I'm only interested in you because you saved my life. That I'm projecting my gratitude into something more..."

"She said that?" I know Ororo to be very tactful and understanding, I find it hard to believe she'd say something like that.

"Not exactly," She answers frowning. "But I can tell that's what she was getting at... she kept talking about how I don't really know you and that I need to move slower. She made it seem like I was slutting it up with you or something!"

Not being able to know for sure how far things might have gone without their intrusion, I can see where Ororo may have been going. "She just wants to protect you, protect all of us... with all that's gone on in the last few months the last thing we need is any... inner turmoil..." I was trying to phrase my words as carefully as possible.

"Ugh!" She blurts out in a huff. "Whatever you say _**boss**_! Just... just forget I even brought it up!" I watch her storm off towards the girls' locker room and shake my head.

"Heavy is the crown..."

I turn quickly, surprised to see Kitty walking towards me. With a towel draped over her shoulders she looks like she's prepared for a workout. "Hey Kitty, Scott got you guys scheduled for a session?"

"Nah..." She stops in front of me smiling. "I've been meaning to get down here, I've been feeling like a beached whale lately..."

I look down at Kitty, who's standing in front of me with a pair of tight grey yoga pants on and a form fitting t-shirt with a well placed "X" on the front and shake my head. "You're crazy! You're gorgeous!" The blush that colors her cheeks let me know I may have embarrassed her. "I mean you look good... you know what I'm saying... you don't need to lose any weight..."

"Drake..." Kitty smiles biting her lip nervously. Something about that expression makes my heart jump in my throat. "So... uhm... how are things going with the team? Judging by the mini tantrum, it would seem like things are tense..."

"That's not what you were going to say." I have no interest in talking about Noriko right now.

"Really? You develop clairvoyance while being stuck as a Popsicle?" Kitty challenges. Nothing with her ever comes easy, but I think that's what I like about her.

"I just know you." Which is true. Besides the faculty, we've been here the longest, pretty much growing up together.

She laughs and I join her. "You think you're like, what? Tough or something?"

"You know I am."

We go back and forth like this for a few minutes. Her workout and my shower both long forgotten. The thing about me and Kitty is we can have an hour conversation without ever really saying anything significant. It's a good and a bad thing. The good thing is we tend to avoid emotional landmines in our conversations, but the bad thing is we always dance around what we really want to say. Given what happened last night and more importantly what almost happened, I don't want to dance anymore.

"So how are you doing, you know since you and Peter...?"

Her face clouds a bit, but she smiles through it. "I'm good. We... we were a bad match to begin with... we're better off as friends I think..."

I can see her getting a little down, so I try to lighten the mood. "_**Friends**_... the worst thing a beautiful girl can call you..."

She chuckles and gives me a playful shove. "You guys have a one track mind..."

"No there's more than just _**one**_ track... it's just that the train is only going to one _**destination**_."

"And there are no stops, right?"

"Oh there are plenty of stops; you just can't get off the train..."

"I think we have stretched this metaphor to it's limit..."

"That's where you're wrong Pryde, there's still light at the end of the tunnel."

Kitty groans. "What did Marie think about your "_**Train theory**_"?"

I can't help but smile a bit before admitting. "She was definitely _**on board**_."

"Enough!" She laughs giving me another shove, but this time I pull her forward, lock my leg around hers and drop her to the floor.

"Looks like you forgot everything Professor Logan taught us..." I tease pinning her to the floor. Obviously with her abilities she could easily escape my grip, but for now she just stares up at me. We're too close right now. I can smell her strawberry lip gloss, feel her soft body under me, hear her breathing.

"Maybe I _**knew**_ you were going to attack and I _**allowed**_ you to take me down..." She's wearing the same expression Noriko wore last night. Her fingers graze my neck tentatively and this is the difference between the two of them. Noriko was more aggressive; she made sure I knew what she wanted. Kitty is shy when it comes to her emotions. Both have their own appeal and I realize I have a problem.

"You know, Drake... I'm getting real tired of having the same conversation with you..." Out of panic, Kitty phases right through me and the sudden change in weight causes me to fall flat on my face. I know whose voice it is behind me and I am now convinced that one of Logan's little known mutant abilities is terrible timing. But then who would go around bragging about their mutant ability to be a buzz kill?

"What conversation...? Sorry Bobby..." Kitty apologizes and helps me to my feet. I look at Logan and silently plead with him not to say anything about last night.

"This is the second time I've caught Drake teaching hand to hand techniques in a non-approved area." Logan states with a smirk. Somehow he manages to rat me out without officially rating me out.

"Oh..." Is all Kitty manages to say looking at me curiously.

"It won't happen again, Professor Logan..." I fight the urge to test out how Logan's healing factor deals with frozen flesh and do my best impression of remorseful.

"See that it doesn't." With that Logan walks away. Kitty and I wait in silence until we're sure Logan is out of earshot. As I wait, I keep trying to read Kitty's expression.

"Hand to hand techniques huh?" Kitty voice takes on a harder quality and it's confirmed. She definitely picked up on Logan's thinly veiled innuendo.

"You know Logan..." I shrug hoping I appear nonchalant. "Always joking around..."

"Yes he is known throughout the world for his incredible jocularity." When Kitty starts pulling out the five dollar words it means she's really pissed.

"Right... well... uh... I should probably hit the showers..."

Kitty nods and smirks bitterly. "Yeah, you're definitely starting to stink..."

**-Basketball courts, after dinner-**

"Ouch dude, that is harsh."

"Yup." I clang another free throw off the rim and Aaron collects the ball, taking my place at the line.

"And here I thought that you were out here working on your game because you were done with being a loser." Aaron snorts, sinking a free throw easily.

"I have no idea why I bothered to tell you in the first place..." I grab the rebound and turn to leave the court.

"Hold up. Hear me out on this one."

Aaron is a lot of things. Arrogant, sarcastic, are the foremost qualities that come to mind, but he's also insightful. And when he wants to be, a decent enough guy, so I give him a chance.

"You care about Kitty, right?" He doesn't wait for me to answer. "So I don't get what is taking you so long with this man! She's single, you got to come on with the come on."

"What does that even mean?" I ask tossing the ball at him.

"It means." The jerk sinks another free throw just for kicks. "That either you step up, or someone else will. You already got beat out once, you want it to happen again?"

"You know I don't." I don't know why the people in my life have taken to pointing out the obvious to me, but it is definitely getting annoying. "But she just broke up with Peter-"

"When? Yesterday?"

"No-"

"How much of a mourning period are you planning on giving her?" He finally misses a shot, but he chases it down for the lay up before bouncing it to me. "You can't be scared Drake, you can't be hesitant when it comes to love..." For a second Aaron almost appears human; it passes quickly. "You keep punking out on this Kitty situation and she's gonna end up with some other jerk."

"Like you?"

Aaron doesn't miss a beat. "She wishes."

"Big talk coming from the guy who had Rachel pretty much offer herself up to you. You didn't even put in any effort! Who are you to advise me?"

"You forget." He snatches the ball from me and heads to the three point line. "I approached her first. I got on her radar and let her know what I thought of her. For all Kitty knows you put her in the friendship zone already. Hmm... actually... maybe you have. Maybe that's why you put the Asian sensation on your team in the first place..."

"I really have got to stop confiding in you..."

"C'mon man, all jokes aside you gotta admit that you put yourself in kind of a messed up position. And the longer you drag this out...?"

"I know, okay?"

"Hey..." Aaron's face lights up, which could only mean disaster. "What are you doing this weekend?"


	4. Welcome distraction

_**A/N: My vacation has spurred my updating! That and I REALLY want to get started on the next chapter in this verse! So all the way from Costa Rica... chapter 4!**_

**-Xavier Institute, Game room-**

"You've really been working on those density exercises, huh?" Rachel asks, as she holds the pool ball midair above Aaron's head.

I'd been playing a game of pool by myself and I guess I put a little too much mustard on my break. "Sorry guys..."

Rachel shrugs and uses her telekinesis to place the ball into a corner pocket. "Wouldn't have hurt him much anyway..." She leans away from Aaron and whispers to me. "His head? _**Way**_ thicker than Adamantium..."

"Umm excuse me, enhanced hearing over here...?" Aaron quips pretending to be angry. The playful way they interact with each other makes me lament more what I learned the other day.

**-Locker room, yesterday-**

I decide after Logan's cryptic comments to speak to Noriko. It's no secret that she has feelings for Bobby, but now I have to wonder if those feelings are being returned. She's the last one to leave the showers and I'm thankful for the chance to speak to her alone.

"Oh... hey Kitty..." I try not to be too envious looking at her towel clad frame. When she first came to join us she was thin, but now she's filled out in all the right places.

"Nori... hey you okay? It looked like things got a little heated between you and _**Kid Cyclops**_ earlier..." I'm trying my best to keep my voice light, as if her answer doesn't matter to me. In truth, standing here in front of her now I'm feeling like this is a bad idea.

She tries to be nonchalant, but doesn't pull it off well. "No biggie, just you know, team stuff..."

I nod, fully embracing my role as confidant. "Gotta be tough taking orders from someone you like..."

"I- excuse me?"

"You know, like, I bet it's tough for to take orders from Scott or for Ororo to take orders from Logan..." I leave it out there, hoping she takes the bait. By the way she begins looking around the locker room I can tell she has.

"You know Bobby best Kitty, what's his deal?"

My heart sinks even though I already knew she was into him. Somehow having verbal confirmation of that fact makes me feel worse. "Well he's single, if that's what you mean..." I hope my face isn't turning as red as it feels. In terms of awkwardness, this moment definitely makes my top ten.

"No I know _**that**_..." She looks around again, obviously trying to decide if she can confide in me. "Last night... well last night I made a run at him..." She kind of smiles in triumph just as my stomach wraps itself neatly around my ankles.

"And?" My voice cracks just a little, but she's too busy being proud of herself to notice.

"And he was with it, I mean he was _**into me**_, I was into him, things were going good until _**they**_ showed up..." If I was wondering how _**good**_, her disgust over the interruption says it all. But I wanted to know who "they" were.

"Who?"

"Ororo and Logan... ugh..." She drops her towel to get dressed, almost as if to say; _**"Get a good look Kitty. This is why the boys keep on passing you by..."**_

_**Get it together, Pryde.**_

"Did they catch you... you know...?" I'm terrified of the answer. But just like when you drive past an accident, no matter how horrible it could potentially be, you have to take a look.

"No!" Noriko actually has the nerve to blush as she puts on a pair of sweats. "Not that I wouldn't, because I soooo would with him..." _**Awesome.**_ "But we didn't get very far..."

"But if Logan and Ororo hadn't interrupted..."

Noriko smiles adding some more blush to her cheeks. It would be adorable if she wasn't literally destroying me inside. "I don't know... but now he's all like slamming on the breaks. Talking like what happened was a_** bad**_ thing... I know Wolverine said something to him... like forbidding him to date me or something..."

"You are on his team; technically he's your boss..." I grumble, not happy at all at how this turned out. If not for Logan's impeccable timing...

"Yeah... but I was digging him _**way**_ before he put me on the team... I'd leave if it meant we could be together..."

There it is.

This wasn't some kiddie infatuation with teacher, or even a slutty girl just looking to add another notch. Those I could deal with. This was _**real affection**_, real emotion. And at least on some level, it has been reciprocated by Bobby. I blew it. I bypassed Bobby for Piotr, cause I thought it would be easier that way. If I'd waited just a few weeks... but I didn't. Who knows if that night at the fountain really meant anything more than just a nice moment.

"Kitty?"

"Hmmm...?"

"I asked you what you thought I should do?" I look at Noriko and I don't see a girl trying to take my man. I see me, a year ago, wanting something but thinking I couldn't have it. I can't let her make the same mistake I did, no matter how much it might pain me.

I grab her by the shoulders and look her in the eyes. "Fight for him."

"What?"

"You heard me." I swallow hard and somehow muster the strength to continue. "A while back there was some... one I wanted. And I think they wanted me too... but I was a chicken. I overthought things and ended up in a worse situation. One I could've avoided if someone had told me, like I'm telling you, to fight."

"But what if-"

I shake my head vigorously and by accident shake her too. "We're mutants. We got secret government agencies and our own people trying to kill us, enslave us or experiment on us on a regular basis. Every moment we _**don't**_ seize, every opportunity we _**don't**_ capitalize on, is another moment we'll _**never**_ get back... I think you know that better than most..."

Her eyes fill up a bit and all of a sudden, I know I'm doing the right thing. Bobby and I had our chance. Our moment and we _**didn't **_capitalize on it. If I have to be miserable for him to be happy, then I'll gladly fall on that sword. For all I know, he's already done the same for me.

"Kitty, I- thanks..." Noriko wipes absently at her tears, before attacking me with a hug. After the shock wears off I return her embrace.

We cry together.

Her for the future possibilities, me for the lost ones.

**-Game room, now-**

Still no doubt in my mind I did the right thing.

I avoided Drake like the plague the rest of the day. If he was having lunch, I was in the Danger Room. I skipped class, pretending to be sick. No one questioned it since I never miss school. And now I'm in the game room while Drake is on the courts warming up for his usual game with Aaron. Even though he knows he's not likely to win playing against him, he still tries. Gotta love his determination.

It's one of the many things about him I adore. Probably even love.

Eventually our paths will cross, but hopefully by then this situation with Noriko will be resolved.

One way or another.

"Feel like playing against someone?" Rachel challenges, picking up another pool cue for herself.

I laugh and it sounds foreign to my ears. "I'm not playing pool against a _**telekinetic**_! I've suffered enough humiliation for one week, thank you!"

Aaron and Rachel share a glance and probably a little telepathic communication.

"Well ladies, I'm going to go mop up Vanilla Ice in some ball... I'll see you in a bit, gorgeous." Aaron winks at Rachel who instantly turns red and leaves the room.

I look at her and wonder how it could be so easy for them and so hard for me.

"Nothing's _**easy**_ about it Kitty..."

"Rachel!"

She laughs a bit and begins wracking the balls. "I keep telling you; surface thoughts are the hardest to keep out... especially when a person is under emotional strain... wanna talk about it?"

"Why don't you just read my mind and save me the additional misery?" I feel myself getting angry. I know it's not her intention to be intrusive, but it still bugs me.

"Because you need to talk about it and I want to listen..." she answers ignoring my outward hostility.

As long as I've known Rachel, she's always been very empathetic. I guess it comes with being able to hear everyone's innermost thoughts. She's seen from her experience that most people who tell you they're doing fine are really miserable. But those are the miseries we keep to ourselves, because the truth is to daunting to face.

I suspect, most of the time, she just leaves people to their fake smiles and hollow expressions of "doing just fine" but on occasion, like now, she can't. Or won't.

"Rae... just... just leave it be..." I beg, upset over how pathetic I sound, I toss my pool cue across the room. Before it shatters satisfyingly against the wall, Rachel catches it midair and floats it over to the wrack.

"Now I _**know**_ I can't leave it be." She smiles concerned. How much she already knows, I have no idea, but since she asked for it I start at the beginning.

**-Institute kitchen-**

We take my pity party to the kitchen and enjoy some of Ororo's Vanilla chai. By the time I'm done venting we've finished off a pot and my eyes hurt from almost shed tears.

"Well?"

"You already know what I'm going to say, Kitty."

"It's not that simple!"

"Didn't you tell a certain electric mutant that it _**absolutely is**_ that simple?"

"I did. But for _**her**_ it is!"

"You're going to have to explain that one to me, Kitty."

"Ugh! I'm sick of explaining! If he wanted what I want, he would have told me by now! So obviously he doesn't!"

"Hmmm..." Rachel sips her tea, being obnoxiously patient. "So by that token; if you wanted what he wanted you would have told him by now, yes?"

"I don't know what he wants!" I yell back and I immediately see I've been tricked. I don't know what he wants. I never asked. I just assumed he didn't want me in _**that**_ way. Rachel sits patiently watching my face change from anger to submission. Only people you really care about can make you want to throw them off a cliff and hug them at the same time.

She lets me stew in my own juices for a few minutes until I finally speak. "I've blown it haven't I?"

She reaches across the table and grabs my hand. "No way to know for sure if you keep sitting here..."

"Sure Rae," I laugh bitterly. "I'll just wait for him in the locker room and jump him after he takes a shower. Oh Bobby take me now!"

Rachel shrugs smiling wickedly. "Worked for me."

Now I have that image in my head. Aaron dressed in nothing but a towel Rachel probably wearing just as little...

"Careful there Pryde... No daydreaming about my man!"

"I wasn't!" Maybe I was a little. Aaron is a great looking guy. And having seen him shirtless on more than one occasion I can attest that Rachel is a lucky woman. Not that my Bobby is anything to sneeze at. The two of them played a game of basketball shirtless once and Bobby more than held his own in that department.

"Well, getting back to this _**blown it**_ thing-"

"I have blown it!" I argue. "I practically begged one of the hottest girls here to jump his bones! A girl who, mind you, has already gone further than I have with him! I'm toast!"

"Kitty, you have got to stop over reacting like this. You don't even know how far they actually went." Her calm voice only makes me more animated.

"Doesn't matter because they would have gone further if it wasn't for Ororo and Logan!" I can no longer sit down so I stand up and give voice to my issues. "Let's review the facts okay? I turned him down-"

"-Only because he was seeing Rogue at the time-"

"I dated his best friend-"

"Ok... yeah... that's kind of bad..."

"Then I proceeded to flaunt my new found love in his face at _**every opportunity**_-"

"Jeez Kitty..."

"And when I broke up with Piotr I figured hey, no big deal I could have Bobby back whenever I want-"

"The two of you may wanna keep it down to a dull roar, anybody could walk in at any time..."

"How can you _**still**_ sneak up on _**me**_ like that?" Rachel asks mildly annoyed. She had been keeping a telepathic ear out for eavesdroppers during our conversation, yet her boyfriend, the _**Badger**_, as Bobby and I often called him, still got by her.

"I'm known for my sneakiness..." He moves behind Rachel and whispers something to her, she immediately blushes again. "I came in here to see if I can find something to drink that isn't rated PG-13 and I end up walking into an episode of One Tree Hill or something."

"How do you stan him Rae?" I ask looking at Aaron in amazement. There are times when he seems like the most insensitive jerk in the world. For someone as caring as Rachel to be so obviously in love with him seems crazy.

"He has moments where he is sort of bearable." Rachel smiles as Aaron massages her shoulders.

"And other times I'm exactly the kind of beast you need... right babe?" Aaron asks as he rubs deeper obviously winning her over to his side.

"Mmmm Hmmm..." She purrs and I am stuck between wanting to sigh at the incredible cuteness and wanting to throw up.

"Sweetheart can you give me and Pryde here a moment?"

"Only if you promise to finish what you've started..." Rachel counters not opening her eyes. His answer must have been completely telepathic because in another moment she stands up from the table.

"We were in the middle of-"

_**We'll talk more in a bit; Aaron's got some X-men stuff to talk to you about that he doesn't think I know about... I'll be in the garden waiting for you...**_

Rachel comes over to me and gives me a hug. "It'll work out Kitty, trust me..."

Aaron takes a seat across from me and waits for Rachel to leave. Once she's gone he looks at me intently with those eyes of his. A lot of the girls here like them but to me it always felt like he was trying to see what size coffin to buy you.

"What do you know about Reed Richards?" He asks suddenly.

After rolling my eyes until they come to a stop at the back of my head I answer. "He was a child prodigy with special aptitude in mathematics, physics, _**and **_mechanics. He enrolled in college by the time he was _**14**_, attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Columbia University, and Empire State University. By the age of 20, he had _**several degrees**_ in the sciences under his belt. He is the foremost scientific mind of this or any other generation."

This time Aaron rolls his eyes. "Thank you for that Wikipedia synopsis Pryde, but drill it down for me a bit. What do you know about his current work?"

I shrug. "Right now he's working on an anti-matter converter and-" And then I realize what he's getting at. "...and a multi-phase energy collector..."

Aaron's face is all business when he nods. "Looks like you're every bit as smart as everyone keeps telling me you are. This device will have the ability to seek out extra-dimensional sources of energy, collect it and harness it for use in unlimited applications."

"That doesn't mean-"

"Of course it does!" Aaron interrupts me angrily. "The Phoenix may be tethered to Rachel's subconscious, but it is first and foremost an energy source. A source of energy just as plentiful as a star. What do you think is gonna happen when he switches that thing on?"

"Not necessarily." I counter, recalling a recent paper I read on the device. "If he directs the device to search for energy outside of our galaxy, or for a different type of energy than the Phoenix force..."

"We've got no way of knowing that, do we?"

I sit silent for a beat. Reed Richards was hoping to use the device to solve the worldwide energy crisis. With a source as abundant as the Phoenix readily available, even if he weren't looking for it, he'd likely find it. And there's no way to know the type of destruction it could cause if it weren't burdened with a human host. I've seen Rachel totally demolish and reconfigure the atomic structure of living and inanimate objects; without a conscience to guide it, it could undo anything. Everything.

After considering all of this I finally get the nerve to ask. "What do we do?"

"Richards in going to be unveiling the device this weekend at the Stark Expo, you and I are going to go see the man himself and warn him."

"Do you think he'll listen?"

He smiles the same wolfish grin his father often does when he's thinking something terrible. "We both know I can be _**extremely persuasive**_ when I need to be..."

**-Institute, Ororo's Garden-**

It's funny that whenever I decide to break curfew, I normally end up here. I guess because it's the one place on the grounds that never changes. Even this bench I'm sitting on has been here since the beginning.

After Styker attacked the school, even after the Sentinels nearly demolished it, somehow it remains unscathed.

"Unlike its students..."

"Rachel..."

"Sorry Kitty... couldn't block out your thoughts even if I tried... not since..."

I nod, knowing what she's getting at. She may have defeated the Phoenix that night, but ever since her powers have been amplified. To the point she's having Forge work on some psionic dampeners for her, so she doesn't have to spend every waking moment playing defense. Frankly I don't know how she does it.

"So you know what Aaron wanted to talk to me about...?"

"Why is it that even the most altruistic scientists eventually end up doing more harm than good?" Rachel sighs and sits next to me on the bench. I wanted to protest but it was true. Stark's Arc Reactor led to dozens of copy cats nearly blowing themselves up, millions in property damage and dozens of innocent lives being lost. Now Reed Richards could potentially free the most destructive force in the universe from the only cage that can hold it.

"They mean well..." I know it's a weak argument when it leaves my lips, but I've always admired the Tony Starks and Reed Richards' of the world. The inspire me to be more than just a girl who can walk through walls.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions..." Rachel quips solemnly. It's been a long time since I've seen her this way. Makes me realize what a difference Aaron has made in her life.

"Thankfully I'm Jewish; we don't believe in hell..." I joke trying to lighten the mood. A small smile threatens to break free, but she surpresses it.

"Aaron is prepared to do something drastic and I don't think I can stop him..."

"What?" I laugh a little nervously. "He planning on killing Reed Richards?" Rachel just looks at me and I shiver. That is _**exactly**_ what he's planning. "How... I mean is it even possible to kill him?" From what I knew about the accident that gave him his powers, the nature of his ability makes killing him a scientific impossibility.

Rachel smiles grimly. "Aaron has come up with ways to kill every known person with extra normal abilities."

"Even me?" I ask surprised.

"Even _**me**_, Kitty." She notes my expression of disgust and continues. "You have to realize the sort of world he comes from... the kind of world _**we both**_ come from. Trust isn't something that comes without a price."

"Yet you sleep next to a man who has devised a way to kill you?" I whisper harshly. I may be angry but I still don't want to get caught.

"Yes." She answers simply as if I was asking her for the time. She tucks her feet underneath her and leans back. I keep expecting her to elaborate, but she's content to just sit there.

"Why?" I finally ask. It made no sense to me.

"I trust him." My mouth is agape. "Him_** knowing**_ how to... kill me... isn't as frightening as him _**having a reason**_ to do it. And I didn't learn about this by sneaking around in his brain, he told me, because he wants me to trust him."

"So why tell me?"

"Because I want you to trust him too; because the time is coming when you are going to have to. For all our sakes."

I have nothing to say to that so I just look up at the sky. It's a beautiful, clear night. Being here away from the city you can really see the stars, I always found it humbling to look up and notice how insignificant we are. Stars exist for untold years, but we are just a blink and we're gone.

"It's not fair..." I groan to no one in particular.

"Nope." Rachel agrees looking up herself. Suddenly I feel like a jerk.

I've been whining about some boy that may or may not like me and she's been dealing with the fact she has a destructive energy being trapped inside her that may or may not cause the destruction of the planet.

I scoot over closer to her and throw my arm around her.

"You're not a jerk Kitty," Rachel says softly. "You're human. And it's human to be concerned about yourself, it's also human to be concerned about others. But I'll be fine..."

"How can you say that?" I whisper back. If I were in her situation I would not be able to be this calm. After all, the Phoenix is what allowed her to even come to this reality to begin with. If it's stripped from her what happens? Does she return to her own reality? Does she fade from existence?

"I believe in my friends, the people who care about me to protect me. Don't you?"

"Yes."

And I guess that's all that needs to be said.

**-Kitty's room-**

We stayed up a few more hours just talking and I learned quite a bit about Rachel and Aaron that I didn't know. She listened as I whined about everything but Bobby and Noriko; I listened as she complained about Aaron and his issues. The more I listened, the more I understood why they were together.

Every single thing that she struggled with when she first came here; Aaron was fighting against too.

He's got a father that he doesn't really know and a mother that wasn't his, in Ororo. Rachel had to deal with Scott and Jean not being anything like the Scott and Jean who raised her. Aaron is surrounded by people his age who could never really understand the type of life he'd lived before coming here. Just like none of us could understand how it was for Rachel being a hunter of her own kind in a world run by Sentinels.

But unlike Rachel who had to deal with all that on her own, he has her to help him.

That's all any of us want.

Someone who gets why we're as messed up as we are and helps up to be better without being a jerk about it.

I didn't talk much about Bobby.

I decided that if I was going to be a baby about it and not tell him how I felt, I had no right to whine about him ending up with Noriko. Of course that means that I also need to decide to do something about it.

That's not something I plan on tackling now though.

Right now I'm looking up all the information I can get my hands on regarding Richards' device. It's really exceptionally brilliant and scary at the same time.

Somehow Richards' has managed to create and control the properties of a black hole without the actual phenomenon being present itself. By using harmonic frequencies he can tap into fundamental energies of the same wavelength. So far his initial trials have been energies of a very low level nature; but the end game is to locate a source of perpetual replenishing energy. Your first thought would be the sun, since it is the definition of long lasting energy, but the output of the sun is too great to control. There would be flares and surges that no computer system could hope to regulate. So the next thing would be a small star, but most stars have a shelf life a very long one, but still if you're talking about powering a planet, you would end up needing another solution in twenty years or so.

If you were really looking for a permanent solution you would need something just above a small star, but way below the sun, which is why Forge and Aaron are convinced the threat to Rachel is very real.

The readings that were taken of the Phoenix Force by Hank during her initial emergence indicate that she would be exactly the type of energy that would be ideal.

"C'mon Kitty, it's getting late... enough with the iPad already..."

I switch it off and lay down, but I'm by no means sleepy.

Too much going on.

The day after tomorrow I'll be attending the Expo, probably trying to keep Aaron from killing Mr. Fantastic. I always wanted to take Bobby to one of those things, he's just as much of a geek as I am. Maybe if I get my act together we can end up there one day.

"Pryde, be quiet! You're thinking too loud!"

"Shut it Guthrie! Last I checked you were not a telepath!"


	5. Exposed at the Expo

**-Stark Expo, entrance-**

I guess I have pretty good reason to be nervous.

Aaron, with the best of intentions _**I'm sure**_, wants me to be his back up on this mission, but I'm not entirely clear on what that could be.

One moment we're talking about my so-called "love life" the next he's telling me that Scott and Logan have tasked him with a mission he wants me in on.

Simple two man op, is what he called it, but it seems anything but.

Beast and Forge both have misgivings about a new device that Reed Richards will be debuting at the Stark Technology Expo; I understand why.

All the energy options on this planet have been exhausted and with Stark himself unwilling to share his Arc Reactor formula, Richards has decided to look beyond earth.

When the planet nearly became a meal for the devourer, Galactus the world was introduced to "cosmic power". It is an energy source with no waste byproduct to worry about and seemingly endless in its versatility.

So of course, Reed Richards wants to harness it, for the betterment of the world.

In trying to tap into the fundamental forces of the universe he may stumble across other dangers or worse make even more powerful threats aware of us. Look at all the damage the Tesseract brought in its wake.

In a very lengthy and confusing briefing, Beast and Forge try to explain all the dangers inherent with this bold experiment. They make mention of the Phoenix Force being just the sort of energy that Richards' device would seek out and try to siphon. But although Phoenix is a being of pure energy, it does have a conscious, one that would not take too kindly at such an affront.

If things go wrong, they're likely to go really wrong.

By the time they got around to tears in the fabric of reality and gravitational fluctuations, I was ready to pull my hair out. Just trying to wrap my head around quantum physics is enough to make my head hurt. Far as I know though, that particular field of study isn't Aaron's forte either. And he's not exactly known for diplomacy.

He's also late.

I check myself out again for probably the hundredth time in the glass doors of the Sovereign Center and that's when I see something that makes my blood run cold.

Nothing's wrong with my suit; Aaron took me to some place in Greenwich that employs a tailor that used to work for Hugo Boss. I guess the appeal of designing for the rich and powerful wore off at some point.

The charcoal grey tuxedo cost more money than I've ever spent in a year, but Aaron paid for it without batting an eye. One day I'll have to ask him just how much he used to get paid for... well whatever it is he used to do.

No, it was the woman in the midnight blue dress in the reflection that was the cause for my anxiety.

The dress clings to every curve, but still manages to not look too tight as it comes to a stop just above her ankles. Her chestnut colored hair is swept in ringlets about her shoulders, looking both playful and sophisticated. The cut on the front of the dress is low enough to be enticing, but high enough to still maintain her modesty. Her make-up is light, just a bit of blue eye shadow and a touch of light blue shimmer on her lips. It makes them look full and pouty. Her simple diamond studs went well with the thin silver necklace and the matching bracelet. The paparazzi out front keep staring at her; trying to determine if she was someone important enough to get a photo of.

She is to me.

"Kitty?"

She smiles at hearing her name and turns to me; my heart only breaks a little when the wattage drops off considerably when she says my name.

"Bobby?" She asks walking over to me, in an easy unhurried grace that doesn't match the expression on her face. "What are you doing here?" She asks in her sternest whisper.

"I'm waiting for- you look amazing..." I blurt out foolishly. I fully expect her to frown but instead, to my delight, she smiles nervously.

"You think so?" She questions, unsure. It seems ridiculous that someone as beautiful as she is has the audacity to be insecure. "Ororo helped me with the make-up and Rachel picked out the dress... well actually she picked out pretty much everything else... you know I'm a dork when it comes to stuff like this."

I smile because in this moment, it as if all the recent drama between us never happened. For now, we're just Kitty and Bobby, two teenagers who enjoy being around each other. "I disagree, but you do look incredible."

Again I get the treat of another radiant smile. "Well, thank you! I figured that if I was going to go undercover to an event like this, I want to look the part! Rachel and Aaron both said I should-" she stops suddenly and I can tell she's beginning to go cold again.

"Where _**is**_ Aaron? And why are _**you**_ here?"

Before I can answer, my cell phone vibrates and I look to see a new text message.

**(Take the box from your inside left pocket)**

I reach in and locate a small box, one I don't remember being there before and open it. Inside I find two tiny ear pieces. Knowing what to do, I hand one to Kitty and place the other in my ear.

"Glad to see you're not completely incompetent, Drake." Is the first thing I hear as soon as it's in my ear. By the smirk on Kitty's face I can tell she heard his comment. "You can talk as low as a whisper; Beast designed these things to pick up vibrations from your jawbone."

"Where are you?" Kitty asks in an obviously irritated whisper. I feel a little sliver of anger creep its way into my heart. She seemed more interested in seeing Aaron than in seeing me. And even though I was curious myself as to his whereabouts, I didn't like the fact she seems so upset at seeing me.

"I'm… around… but don't worry, I need the two of you to attend the Expo, while I take care of some things. Convince Stark to get you an audience with Richards, the sooner the better. They'll likely save his reveal for last, but I don't want to be up against the clock. I'm going radio silent for the next twenty, talk soon." And with a soft click, he's gone. Aaron was used to his orders being followed in the field without hesitation, so there was no need for explanations in his opinion.

He was placed in command of this mission, so I can't really argue about it.

"Great..." Kitty mumbles.

I share her sentiment. Aaron may have more field experience than me, but I don't like the fact he's keeping me in the dark like this. Still:

"Well, Pryde…" I hold out my hand and put on my best smile. "You ready to rub shoulders with the rich and famous?"

**-Kitty's perspective-**

I link my arm around his and slip into my role of date. Somehow this would have been much easier if this was Aaron. I guess as attractive as Aaron is, I'm not _**attracted to him**_. Bobby is an altogether different animal.

And he went all out tonight.

Fresh haircut, clean shave, the cologne he's wearing- my favorite- which makes me wonder if he was really expecting Aaron or-

_**Ugh! Why does he have to look so good?**_

The color of the suit really brings out his eyes, which are a blue that seems like it can't possible exist anywhere other than the Caribbean. The cut of his tux is perfect, showing off his well-toned body. The arms of the jacket are tailored in a way that allows you to see the contours of his biceps. There have been many nights that I've envisioned being wrapped in them...

_**Take it easy, Pryde...**_

This is a serious mission. I mean, it will be fun seeing all the new technology unveiled, but the lives of billions could hang in the balance. Rachel may be the one that Aaron is most concerned about, but after listening to Forge, there is much more at stake thought shakes me from the spell Bobby was unwittingly putting me under and I go into X-man mode.

"So do you see him? Stark, I mean." I ask leaning in close so that no one can hear our conversation. I'm surprised when he stiffens up before answering.

"Uh... not yet... let's mingle with the crowd; find him and try to get him to give us a moment with Richards..."

He seems distracted so I try to refocus him. I pull him into an empty corridor and make sure no one can see us. "We don't _**try**_. We make Stark get us in the same room with Richards. Preferably well before it's announced what he's unveiling... I mean I'm sure plenty of people already know but- What?"

"Nothing! I'm listening." But he's not. I've seen that face plenty of times before. He's not just distracted; he's uncomfortable and I think I know why.

"Listen; I know things haven't been... well... great between us... but we have to... you know... work together and junk..." Saying it out loud makes me feel awkward and now I'm fumbling.

He smiles warmly and reaches to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. I really hope he doesn't know what that does to me. "Yes I know... it's just... well I think you're mad at me for something _**you think**_ happened and-"

I shake my head firmly. Much as I would like to hear his explanation, I know that can't happen now. "Let's find Stark and hope he's been hitting the alcohol a little bit. It'll be easier than trying to approach him cold."

"The cold approach is kinda my thing..." Bobby jokes trying to lighten the mood. It works because I giggle like an idiot.

"But you have a warm heart..." I return and press my hand to his chest. For a moment, just a moment, I'm a girl in front of a guy that I love and nothing has felt better. But this guy isn't mine and that thought makes me snatch my hand away like I'd just touched a hot stove. "Still... let's get going. I think I see Stark surrounded by a couple girls by the bar..." I lead him back into the main room hoping the back of my dress isn't too revealing.

"Of course you did..." Bobby quips. "Where else would he be?"

**-Bobby's perspective-**

"Hey cutie what's your name?" A leggy blonde asks me with drunken smile.

"Uh sweetheart? His name is "five to ten" as in time you will serve... didn't they check I.D.'s at the door?" Stark is known for being a womanizer and an alcoholic; right now he's in full swing. I'd heard somewhere that things were brewing between him and Pepper Pots, but you couldn't tell that by the trio around him now.

"If we could steal you for a moment, Mr. Stark?" Kitty asks with a tone that implies that acceptance is the only option. Stark apparently could care less.

"Listen honey, you're gonna need to gain about four more years and fifteen more pounds before I can accept an invitation like that. Besides, not really a fan of the "Devils' Threeway". Tried it in college... _**did**_ _**not**_ go well _**at all**_."

I lose a bit of my patience with that comment. "Listen," I grab his wrist firmly and out of sight I give him enough of a chill to cause some discomfort. "There are two ways this could go and you should act now while _**option A**_ is still available."

_**I must be spending entirely too much time around Aaron…**_

The snarky smile never fades from his lips, but as I release his hand he turns to his groupies. "Ladies, as part of my court mandated community service I have to tend to these youngsters, but I promise you I will return as soon as I'm able." He steps close to me and whispers in my ear. "Next time you wanna play _**Popeye**_ in front of your little girlfriend, do me a favor? Pick somebody else to be your _**Bluto**_..." I can tell his wrist is still a little tender by the way he keeps rubbing it.

I smirk and respond back. "Next time you wanna play _**drunken jerk**_, pick _**easier**_ targets..." I know it was just an act he puts on. I've seen it up close and personal, but that didn't keep it from being annoying.

Stark nods and gestures to one of the side booths that currently stands empty. As we follow him over to it I can't help but watch Kitty move. The three inch heels she has on are dangerously thin, but she moves through the crowd with the grace of dancer. No, it's more like a jungle cat. And every guy here picks up on it. Without even being aware of it, she turns the head of every man and woman in attendance.

I try to tell myself that it's because they see her following Tony Stark and I'm sure that's part of it; but I know that an even larger part is just how beautiful she looks tonight.

**-Kitty's perspective-**

I can feel their eyes on me, but I don't feel flattered; I feel uncomfortable.

I don't know how women deal with being eye-humped by every man in the room, I don't think I ever will, but this is the role I have to play to blend in.

You would think at a technology conference there would be more ladies dressed in business suits than in low cut Donna Karen.

**-Kitty's room, several hours ago-**

"Well you would be wrong, Ms. Pryde…"

"I don't get it!"

"I know you don't; that is why _**I'm**_ here." Rachel laughs. I guess if I were in her shoes I'd find this pretty amusing too. I mean, she comes from a future where she spent almost all of her free time running and fighting for her life and she's here giving me fashion advice.

I asked her which outfit she thought was best, just to get a second opinion. I was trying to decide between a pair of gray slacks and a white blouse, or a pair of black slacks and a blue blouse. I didn't realize I would upset her sensitive fashion sensibilities.

"Where did you even get all these dresses anyway?" I ask going through the wrack of clothes she brought to my room. Every sort of dress you can imagine was on display. Clothes I had never seen her wear, but I guess there hasn't been much need for formal or party clothes lately.

She shrugs continuing to flip through my technology magazines with mild interest. "Some are from Alison's collection, stuff she can't fit anymore and other stuff came from the time Ororo and I went on a shopping spree." When she first got here from that alternate reality, Ororo took her under her wing. It made sense given that Jean was gone, Scott was missing and Logan had left. Ororo pretty much held the school together on her own.

"They're beautiful…"

Rachel smiles jumping from my bed to come over to me. "I knew there was a girl under all those brains!"

"I don't know if I should be insulted or complimented…" I grumble, pulling a black gown from the collection. "Thoughts?"

"You should definitely feel complimented and you should definitely…" she takes the dress from my hands and returns it to the rack. "… _**not**_ wear black."

"Why not?" I ask. I thought the dress was tasteful and elegant.

"You need a little more junk in your trunk for this gown to hang right…" Rachel quips, continuing to look through her collection.

"Don't sugarcoat it… just tell me how you _**really feel**_…" I knew I was a little less shapely than the other girls here, I didn't need my so-called friend to remind me of it.

"Oh relax, girl. Your body's_** rocking**_; you just need something that will show it off… like this!"

_**Aaron is definitely influencing this girls' vocabulary…**_

She pulls a beautiful blue dress from a hanger and holds it up in front of me, while telekinetically turning me to face the mirror. It's sort of a surreal feeling when she does things like that, but I guess being that I can walk through walls I should be used to the strange. The material is soft and the color is perfect.

"You don't think the neckline is a little… um… low…?" I'm trying to envision just how my bust, or lack thereof is going to keep this dress up. The cut isn't scandalously low, but it's deeper than I'm used to.

Rachel rolls her eyes dramatically. "Kitty, _**no**_. Goodness, sometimes I wonder… nevermind. You will be gorgeous in this! Now we just need the right jewelry and make up… Ororo can help with the make-up… let's see what you have here…"

"Don't I get a say in this?"

"Sure. Given all that you've had to deal with since coming to this school, you absolutely have a say…" Rachel lays the dress across my bed and starts looking through my jewelry box. "You can say _**yes**_." She laughs loudly. I have to admit; despite myself I join in because Rachel has a point.

A fun day here lately has equated to a day when people are not trying to kill me. Which is to say; I could do with a little distraction. I mean, I know the mission is serious and I want to treat it that way, but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun.

"Exactly." Rachel pulls a pair of diamond studs Alison got for me last year from the box just as nonchalantly as she pulls my thoughts from my brain.

"How does Aaron deal with you poking around in his head all the time?" I groan, only slightly annoyed. For Rachel, telepathy is as natural as breathing, she doesn't try to listen, she just hears. And not even all the time.

"Would you like me to share what goes on in that delicious mind of his?" Rachel asks, looking back at me deviously.

"_**NO**_!"

**-Vicente's, Greenwich Village, yesterday-**

"Yes!"

"Aaron, c'mon man…!"

"You must be serious popcicle, using my real name for a change… but still…"

"There's no way you can afford this!" The tux is incredible. I've seen tailored suits on TV, even when Mr. Stark came to visit us a while back, but there is nothing like actually wearing one. Despite how good it feels or looks though, there is no way I'm letting another dude by me clothes.

"Actually, I've got more than enough to cover the costs of the suit, the shoes that we have to get to go with it, and some other items. I've got a rep to uphold and I can't have you standing next to me looking like you buy your suits at Wal-Mart." The tailor, whose name is Armond or something, chuckles and holds the jacket open for me to try on.

"I think it is good thing that your friend wishes to purchase this beautiful suit for you." He offers without either of us asking. "In my homeland this would not be a strange thing… but here you have too many hang ups…"

"While I appreciate good social commentary as much as the next guy, bottom line is; it ain't happening!" I don't know what "rep" Aaron thinks he has, but I don't care.

"I could pull rank here Drake…" Aaron counters with a stern look. Funny thing is, most of the people he uses that look on, straighten right up. I guess being the son of Wolverine with the background and powers to go with it carry a lot of weight. With me though, it just makes me angrier.

"You don't outrank me!" I whisper harshly, wanting to make sure Armond doesn't hear too much.

"In this case, blondie, I do…" Aaron looks over at Armond. "Give us a moment please?"

"Of course." Armond nods, setting his tape measure down. "I'll bring your friend some shoe options… size twelve, yes?"

I open my mouth to argue, but he's already gone. When I turn to face Aaron, he's got the same look as before, this time though he's added the crossed arms to the image of intimidation.

"Come on, you know that doesn't work on me…"

"Then shut your mouth and open your ears…" He practically growls. And I do. Not out of fear, but because I can tell that he is completely serious now. "If this thing gets launched, Rachel is not the only one at risk. Richards is so eager to get into the clean energy game that Stark's playing, he's cutting corners. Nearly everyone at the school is on government watch lists; otherwise it'd be Scott and Jean or Logan and Ororo on this. As it stands, it falls to us; _**me and you**_, to set this right. That means we need to blend in with the rich and famous. We need to be anonymous until it's time to _**not be anonymous**_. And if that requires that you eat a little humble pie and let me buy you some suitable clothes then you damn well better get your knife and fork ready!"

_**Aaron gives better speeches than Patton and Pacino put together.**_

Any other possible objections I have are gone. I don't bother to apologize, because I know he wouldn't want me to. But something he said bothered me. "What do you mean Richards' is _**cutting corners**_? Given how he and his friends got their powers in the first place-"

"Are you ready, gentlemen?" Armond calls from the other room. I want to tell him to wait a few moments because I really want an answer to my question, but Aaron tells him to come in. "Everything is settled, I trust?"

"Yes. I'm going to step out and make a phone call Drake, don't pick a pair of cheap shoes. That's the worst thing that can happen to a fine suit."

**-Stark Expo, now-**

"This looks like Vincente's in the Village… am I right?" Stark rubs the lapel of my jacket, but his eyes are locked on Kitty. It doesn't escape my notice that he's doing it on purpose. Trying to both intimidate me and show me up at the same time. He doesn't like that I stood up to him back there and he likes it even less that we interrupted his fun.

"You have a _**good eye**_, Mr. Stark, so surely you can see that tonight stands to be an unmitigated disaster."

"Well, Robert is it? Well Robert, despite the poorly chosen Hors d'oeuvres, bad lighting and limited cash bar, I doubt if the papers will deem this event a disaster. Mitigated or otherwise."

Kitty chuckles at Stark's turn of phrase and although it's a beautiful sound, I know it will only fuel his fire. "Mr. Stark-"

"Tony, please. Why be so formal with the man you're _**attempting**_- albeit unsuccessfully- to intimidate?"

I shake my head in exasperation. How can a man so brilliant, be such a colossal-

"Tony, Robert and I wouldn't have bothered coming here if we weren't serious. If there wasn't a real threat-"

"I know." Stark cuts Kitty off, dropping his playboy act completely. "I've voiced my own concerns to Richards personally, but he seems intent on doing this."

"This is your expo, can't you keep him out of the presentation?"

"It may be_ my_ Expo Katherine, but it's open to _**all**_. If I shut out all the pompous, arrogant geniuses whose reckless disregard for federal regulations endangered millions, the parking lot would have two cars in it: the security guards Phil and Lamar. Who, while being genuinely stand up guys, couldn't change the settings on my DVR. Besides if I did red flag arguably the greatest scientific mind of our generation… it would cause more harm than good…"

"Bruce Banner is also considered one of the "greatest minds of our generation". He shot himself full of Gamma Radiation and turned into a raging green monster. Otto Octavious' drive for renewable energy turned him into a caricature with metallic arms and a penchant for bank robbery. Reed Richards turned his best friend into a pile of orange rocks. All these so-called genius seem to be able to do is screw up themselves and everyone else around them!"

Aaron appears next to us like he'd been standing there the whole time. For all I know he could have been. When it comes to stealth, no one does it better.

"Tell me, do your _**parents**_ know you three are out this late, hassling billionaires?" That's mainly a jab at Aaron, but it's a shot at us too. He knows that the senior members of the institute couldn't come here after all that's gone on in the last year.

Aaron smiles that nasty smile of his that reminds me of how the big bad wolf probably looked at a certain trio of pigs. "I assure you, Stark, I haven't _**begun**_ to hastle you yet. But _**when**_ I do, that tin suit you have stored in your briefcase won't keep me from cutting out your heart."

Even Tony Stark, master of the clever come back, doesn't have one for that statement, so I take the opportunity the moment provides. "If you won't make a move against Richards, then get us an audience with him. Give us a chance to plead our case."

"What makes you and _**Mr. Friendly**_ over here so interested anyway?"

"There's a reason, Mr. Stark, that you are the foremost authority on clean energy. It's not just your field of study, or something you're interested in; _**it's your life**_." Aaron answers, flashing a level of diplomacy I would have never thought he possessed. "It's what _**kept**_ you alive in that cave and it's what's keeping you that way. So you have a personal stake in getting it _**right**_. Richards, for all his intelligence is like a child. He jumps from one field to the next, showing a complete lack of discipline. Astrophysics, String theory, aerodynamics, engineering… when he get's bored with a toy, he doesn't put the old one away, he buys a new one. A mutual… acquaintance of ours had a saying about guys like Richards: Jack of all trades-"

"Master of none…" Stark completes with a wry smile. "You're a little young to be swimming in those waters, junior."

"I've always preferred _**Adult Swim**_, Stark. Surely you can respect that?"

Stark nods with a smirk. "I'll get you your face to face… but how are you going to get him to listen?"

"We'll appeal to his intellect." Kitty answers brightly. Obviously convinced that Richards will listen to reason, I'm not as sure.

"And _**when**_ that fails?" Stark asks, amused at Kitty's naiveté.

"Then we'll appeal to his sense of survival." I answer seriously.

**-Executive suite, Sovereign Center-**

"I'm not sure how you got up here, but I don't have time to sign any autographs…"

Since we entered the suite, escorted by Stark himself, Reed Richards has not looked up from the two screens with scrolling mathematical equations on it. Ben Grimm, or Thing if you prefer, has his view blocked anyway, playing the role of bodyguard.

"Reed, these guys aren't exactly the autograph type…"

Stark's statement only causes Reed to grunt. "Then they can wait until the unveiling, like everyone else. I'm at a critical stage of computation right now…"

"Probably better that we let the_** genius**_ concentrate guys… every time he makes a miscalculation, which is often, people either die or… get hit with a skin condition all the Proactiv in the world can't cure…" I'm a little surprised to hear those words coming from my mouth. So is Kitty, judging by her facial expression. But I'm tired of placating people who think so much of themselves and so little of everyone else.

"Watch it, kid! Reed's done more for this planet than you'll ever know!" Gotta hand it to Grimm, his loyalty runs deep.

"I thought Drake covered his efforts pretty well…" Aaron counters taking a step to Grimm's left. He told me once that he's come up with a theory to kill every known super powered individual along with some unknown ones. I wonder if that's what's going through his mind now.

"Let's be civil people please!" Kitty pleads taking a careful step in between Aaron and Grimm, which causes both men to smirk, although, I bet for vastly different reasons. "We just need five minutes of your time Doctor Richards. Please."

Something in her voice strikes a chord with the man and he swivels in his chair. "Okay young lady, go ahead."

Without an ounce of fear or uncertainty in her voice she details to Richards everything that Aaron told her. That his energy device, won't just siphon energy from stars but that it will likely attract larger more fundamental forces in the universe. She doesn't mention the Phoenix force by name, but she lets him know the potential damage trying to tap into such forces could cause to the Space-time continuum. She mentions his device could cause tears within the fabric of reality allowing other co-existing realities to bleed into each other. The overlap of which could destroy universes.

From her explanation, we could simply cease to exist.

When she finishes, we all look at Reed expectantly, but his expression remains the same.

"Is this true, Stretcho?" Grimm asks a little shocked.

"Of course it is." Reed answers simply. "Which is why the calculations must be precise which is why-" Reed turns back to his console. "I need to be able to focus completely."

Beside me Kitty's mouth drops open.

I guess she expected more. More concern about his fellow man from someone she admired. Whenever Richards' humanitarian efforts were mentioned in an article or magazine, she would talk my ear off about it.

_**Must be tough when your heroes fall so short of your expectations...**_

"I warned you…" Stark laments, placing a hand on Kitty's shoulders. She jerks away from him angrily and phases Reed's chair so that he falls through it to the floor.

"Is one-upping Stark so important that you'll risk the lives of _**multiple universes**_ just to prove your brain is bigger? What's your next move? Teleporting soil from Neptune to revitalize the desserts of the Middle East? Bringing the sun a few miles closer to earth so you can thaw out the polar ice caps? How can you be so selfish and arrogant?" Tears are welling up in her eyes and I can feel myself getting angrier. He's not just selfish and arrogant; he's indifferent.

He approaches everything from a clinical perspective. He treats everything with the same emotional capacity of a dentist filling a cavity.

"Talk to him about arrogance." Reed argues pointing at Stark. "If he would share the secrets of the Arc Reactor with the world then bold moves such as the one I intend to make, would not be needed!"

"Oh no you don't buddy, don't try to shift blame!" Stark steps forward angrily. "If- _**IF**_ I thought for a second that the world was ready to share the technology properly, then I would hand over the patents to every world leader on the globe. But here's the truth about our little human family that no one likes to talk about at the annual barbeque; we're children. We're children, _**playing **_at being adults. For all our assertions to the contrary, _**the first thing**_ that would happen if everyone had their very own Arc Reactor would not be clean efficient energy for all. It would be militarization." Every Kim Hussien and Fidel Kony would be working around the clock. Not to find a way to safely convert over to Arc energy, but to weaponize it into missiles, guns-"

"There would be control measures in place, Tony! You know that!'

"Yes! Because they have worked so well in the past, right?" No one could argue with his logic.

"If you and I worked together we could-"

"Is the reward worth the risk?" This time Aaron speaks up. "Just look at all Stark has gone through since developing the device he created_** just**_ to keep himself alive! Obadiah Stain tried to kill him and create his own suit of armor. Ditto Justin Hammer. _**No one**_ is interested in energy for all, because that would mean an end to nuclear power, the oil industry and the lower class. The people that _**actually **_run this world are keenly interested in keeping things _**exactly**_ as they are."

"Young man that is a very cynical outlook you have. In your view, there's no point in trying to make a difference at all…"

"The difference won't be made with technology. It won't be made because you've lowered heating and electrical costs by a few percentage points. Someone very important to me told me once that _**change comes with people, doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.**_ Professor Xavier believed that, he taught me that and I have come to see the truth of his words… This is _**your **_moment to choose something better… to make the right decision at the right time…" Kitty grabs my hand and I look down into her proud smile. That smile allows me to hope, to believe that together we made an impact.

Reed shakes his head smiling. "I'm sure Xavier would be proud of all three of you today. The future is bright indeed with young ones like yourselves leading it…."

"Does that mean?" Kitty asks hopeful that her idol might yet prove to live up to her expectations.

"Wait for it…" Aaron whispers gruffly.

"But despite your impassioned pleas, I intend to press on." Reed announces brightly as if he just told us he's going to have a great day even if it's raining outside. "Xavier had a dream of _**equality**_. That dream held out the hope that mutants and humans could live together in harmony. It is an ideal that he was willing to fight and lay down his life for. How can you ask me to do any less? I too, have a dream of equality. A world where the gap between the haves and the have-nots is a small one, not a chasm. My device is a step in that direction. Now if you'll excuse me, please…"

Both Kitty and I make a move to object, but Aaron stops us with a look.

That look tells me he's planned for this scenario.

"I told them that would be your answer Richards…" Stark comments ruefully. "Let's go guys…"

**-Expo floor-**

"Okay what's the next move?" I ask anxiously. I'm hoping he says we suit up and start breaking things. With his wife and brother out of town, all that stands between us and Richards is Grimm. The three of us could take them out, destroy the device. Even though that would only delay him, with more time we could put together a more convincing argument. Maybe get the government involved.

"Now…" Aaron throws his arm around me with a hug that seems almost brotherly. "The two of you head home… I've got things covered here…"

**-Outside the Sovereign Center-**

"Well this was a complete waste of time… we might as well have stayed home rather than-"

"It wasn't a waste Bobby," Kitty interrupts standing in front of me. "We needed to at least try to get him to listen to reason."

I know that, but it still irks me that Aaron didn't feel the need to include us in the rest of his plan. Really in his plan at all, since I know he had more up his sleeve than just that conversation.

_**I mean where was he really while we were dealing with Stark?**_

_**What is he doing now?**_

"Are you Robert and Katherine?"

We both turn to see a portly man standing by a limousine. The two of us share a confused glance.

**Well, answer the man ya big dummy?**

Although we both can hear Aaron's voice over our commlink, I'm pretty sure that was directed at me. "Yes."

"Well hop in kids! Clock's ticking!"

**You heard the man!**

"Aaron, what is this?" I whisper as I guide Kitty over to the open door. Maybe I was wrong about Aaron not including us in the second (third?) part of his plan.

**For once in your life Drake; just be cool!**

The audible click in my ear tells me that he's again shut off comms and left the two of us in the dark. I wait until Kitty is seated comfortably in the back of the limo before I speak to the driver. "Where are you supposed to take us?"

"Guy paid me a nice chunk a change to keep my yap shut and drive, junior. So guess what I'm going to be doing?" He doesn't give me a chance to answer, he just slides up the partition and pulls away from the center.

"Definitely not getting a tip from me!"

_**A/N: The final chapter is upcoming! Trust me the wait will not be as long as before. I've fleshed out the outline for the next story arc in this universe completely so I want to get going on that as soon as I can! Which means wrapping up this fic in a satisfying way! **_


	6. Dinner Skate

_**A/N: Final chapter! Enjoy!**_

**-Inside the limo-**

"So… crazy night huh?"

I smile at Bobby's incredible understatement. "With us is there any other kind?"

"Sure," He smiles back, reaching into the mini fridge. "There's _**insane, disastrous**_, the occasional _**catastrophic**_…" He hands me a chilled bottle sparkling cider before producing two glasses.

I want to laugh, but all I keep thinking of is how exhausting it's become just living in this world. If our friends aren't being hunted, kidnapped, tortured or killed our lives are being endangered by well-meaning scientists. So my laugh comes out as a heavy sigh.

"Hey, hey Kitty…" Bobby, realizing my mood, puts the glasses down and wraps an arm around me. This time I'm too tired to fight my feelings for him I lean into it and enjoy the comfort it brings. "I may not like the guy, but Aaron always has a plan… I'm sure he's got something in mind to stop this…"

That makes me chuckle. "I wish the two of you would quit acting like you don't like each other… you're _**practically brothers**_…" I expect some sort of denial, or quip about me and Paige, but he just squeezes me tighter.

We sit in silence for a moment, so what he says next catches me off guard.

"Kitty… about before… with Noriko…"

I open my mouth to interrupt him. I want to tell him I don't care. That I have no right to be mad at him, considering I was dating his best friend for nearly a year. That all I want is for us to start over, but all that comes out is: "Yes?"

He sighs heavily before continuing. "I admit that there is an attraction there…" _**Okay, not what I wanted to hear.**_ "And if we hadn't been interrupted, I can't say how far things might have gone…" _**Really wish I had cut him off.**_ "But the bottom line is, I don't feel half the things for her that I do for you…"

I want to wrap myself up in those words and live in them forever, but the first part of his confession still gnaws at me. "You said it yourself; if you hadn't been interrupted-"

"But we were!" Bobby cuts me off and turns me so we're facing each other. "And I wasn't upset over the missed opportunity. I didn't look for another one, although I could have easily created it. I was glad that I was spared making a mistake… a mistake that could have cost me the chance at having you!"

He's looking at me with an intensity I'm not prepared for, so I turn away from those beautiful blue eyes and look at the downtown scenery whipping by. "Where do you think we're headed?"

I feel his fingers on my chin and he gently returns my eyes to his. "I don't know, but right now I'm more interested in what you have to say…"

I meet his gaze and whisper. "What do you want me to say…?"

"That you care about me as much as I do you… or that you don't and you want to remain friends… either way… I want… I need to know…!"

So many emotions are bubbling up inside me. I never thought about what might happen if he wanted me the same way I wanted him. I never imagined a scenario where we could actually talk about our feelings without someone barging into the room or stepping on entire mansion.

Since my mouth isn't doing much good talking, I kiss him.

He doesn't respond at first, but after the surprise fades, he responds with abandon. His hands dig into my hair, pulling me closer. I take the cue and straddle him. My dress bunches up uncomfortably for a moment, but he eases the material up my thighs to allow me to sit more easily astride him.

I didn't go to high school, never went to a formal or a prom, but I imagine that this is exactly how that scene would have played out. Two love sick teenagers making out recklessly while a limo driver speeds us to some motel.

Is it wrong that I'm not the least bit opposed to that notion?

His hands settle below my waist and one firm squeeze later I'm moaning in between breaths. When his lips leave mine I whimper in disappointment until they find an area of sensitive flesh just below my ear. The tingling in my stomach goes from butterflies to bees and I press myself firmly against him.

"I've wanted this for so long…" He whispers out of breath next to my ear. It tickles and excites me at the same time.

"Not longer than me…" I return, pushing him back against the seat, beginning my own assault on his neck. We're a tangle of limbs and lips, as we both fight to give the other pleasure. Everything that came before, all of it seems so stupid now.

All the time we wasted pretending we didn't want each other as anything more than friends when we could have been in each others arms.

"Oh my-"

**Folks? We're about four minutes outside our destination…**

I spring from Bobby's lap and he nearly bursts into laughter. He points to an intercom system above his head and presses a button. "Thank you for the heads up."

**No problem sir**

"Could he hear us?" I ask afraid of the answer. I feel naked, even though my dress is completely intact.

"No!" He finally gives way to laughter watching me try to regain my composure. "The partition is up; he can't hear anything unless I press this button… aren't you supposed to be some kinda science geek?"

I slap his arm playfully, relieved and begin straightening my dress. "It's my first time in a limo!"

"Want me to tell him to circle the block a few times…?" He reaches out for me caressing my face and I instantly forget where I am again. The only thing I can think of is getting access to that wonderful mouth of his again.

"Ye- No… no…" I mutter weakly. "We should see what Aaron has got planned…"

**-Outside Jean Georges-**

"You've got to be kidding me…" I mutter, slightly angry.

It wasn't enough that Aaron forced me to accept the clothes on my back, shoes on my feet and the limo we just stepped out of. No, he had to go the extra mile and have the driver drop us off at one of the most exclusive, prestigious and expensive restaurants on the Upper West Side.

I look over at Kitty, whose eyes are as wide as saucers and has a smile that threatens to split her face in half. "Oh my goodness! Bobby! I've always wanted to try the food here!"

Thankfully in her excitement she can't see my face. I don't want to spoil her mood. I don't want to tell her that the sixty bucks in my wallet won't cover an appetizer here.

"Sir? A moment?" The limo driver keeps me from having to burst her bubble and I step over to the side to meet him. "I was instructed to give this to you once we arrived…"

He hands me a small envelope. It's addressed to: **Vanilla Ice**. There's a note inside along with a credit card.

**{Quit thinking so much, glacier breath and enjoy.} **

The card is in my name and I have to wonder just how connected Aaron is. On the back is a small post it note: **$1,000 limit**.

"Will I need that much…?" I wonder out loud. I don't have time to wonder long as Kitty is already tugging at my arm.

"Let's go!"

**-Inside Jean Georges-**

Of course we have reservation under my name, my real one not one of the many Aaron has given me, and so we're seated right away. Our clothes say _**money**_, but the wonder in our eyes say _**broke**_, which confuses the hostess to no end.

Once we're seated and given menu's Kitty leans forward towards me.

"Do you think we're supposed to meet some contact here?" Obviously still under the impression that this is part of our earlier mission.

"I think…" I sigh, looking at the descriptions of dishes, noticing with disdain there are no prices listed. "We're supposed to eat…"

Kitty giggles gleefully and returns to the menu. I have to admit. Everything looks delicious.

Kitty settles on the Black Bass and I opt for the Sautéed Maine Lobster. After promising to allow her to sample my selection we place our drink orders with our waiter. Kitty ordered the appropriately girly "Day at the beach" and I chose a gin and tonic. The waiter doesn't even raise an eyebrow, but I guess the way we're dressed we don't look under twenty-one.

"Why do you think Aaron set all this up?" Kitty asks taking a sip of water and looking around at the décor.

"So I could owe him…" I grumble, noting with mild amusement that Johnny Storm is sitting four tables down from us with some Victoria Secret model that I only recognize because I've seen them together on TV before.

"Maybe…" Kitty grabs my hand and all my attention goes back to her. "Or maybe he did it so that we could have a nice night together."

I snort in disbelief. "Why would he do that?"

"Come on Bobby! Think about it! Do you really think he needed us for tonight?"

"Well you know all about Reed Richards' work and I… I freeze stuff…"

She giggles and caresses my hand. "You're worth more than that sweetie. But if you think for a moment that Aaron doesn't know as much or more than me about Richards, then you're crazy. Or are you forgetting that he has other abilities besides being a jerk to you most of the time?"

I guess I forget that outside of the claws, the senses and the healing factor, Aaron does have that tactile telepathy thing going for him. And he's dating a telepath. Stands to reason he could have done this whole thing by himself.

"So why-?"

"He needed an excuse to do something nice for you, for us, so he created the opportunity." Kitty answers simply, holding back a cheer as her drink arrives.

"Yeah, maybe… but that would mean he knew it was useless to try and talk to Richards in the first place…" But the truth is he would have known and he would have prepared for it.

A sad look crosses over Kitty's face briefly. "So did Stark… so did I, now that I really think about it."

A moment passes as I let this all sink in.

When I told Aaron about everything the other night and he seemed like he had an idea, I would have never guessed it would be this. But I'm learning that, like his father, he's more than what he seems to be on the surface.

The waiter brings us our salads and for the time being we forget that we're Iceman and Shadowcat. We're just two people enjoying a night out together.

She tells me the story of how she first discovered her powers.

How she woke up one night partially phased into the refrigerator. We laugh over the story of my mom yelling at my dad when the temperature in the house stayed at forty degrees despite the thermostat being set for seventy-five. I told her about the time Piotr and I stole Scott's Corvette and took it for a spin. We would've gotten away with it, if it wasn't for the Professor.

"What made you guys think you wouldn't get caught?" Kitty laughs, spearing a piece of my lobster.

"Sometimes you forget that the worlds' most powerful telepath lives under the same roof as you!" I chuckle. "It really was a stupid thing to do… If Roberto hadn't dared us, we probably-"

"Would have done it anyway!" Kitty finishes continuing to laugh. "The dare was just the excuse you needed!"

I can't deny that, so I go on the offensive. "It's no worse than you girls sneaking into the boys' locker room that time…"

Kitty turns a shade of red I've only seen on fruit. "You know about that?"

"I know that Ororo put you, Danielle and Marie on clean up duty for a month because you were the only three that got caught!" We both laugh at that. It was a five woman operation, but Tabitha and Amara avoided getting caught. The three that were caught had to clean the men's' locker rooms for the whole month.

"That was the worst punishment ever! You boys are disgusting!"

I shrug and pick a piece of her fish off her plate. "Who you telling?"

By the time desert comes around the conversation turns more serious.

"What are you going to do about Noriko?"

"I have no idea… maybe I'll ask Aaron; he seems to have_** all**_ the answers anyway…"

"Maybe we should hold off… you know on getting together…"

"Why?" I didn't want to hold off. I'd been _**holding off **_ever since that night we went ice skating.

"Think about it Bobby… there's Piotr, Marie, now Noriko… people are going to be hurt by this… by us…"

"Piotr may be like a brother to me, but he cheated on you remember?" I see her face turn bitter and realize how that sounds. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you owe him any courtesy. Marie left us, or at least was planning to before she got nabbed and since she's been back she hasn't seemed all that interested in any sort of relationship. Friendship or otherwise. As far as Noriko… it's a crush Kitty, nothing more. I saved her life-"

"So did Aaron."

"But he's not as handsome as me…" I joke trying to lighten the mood. "Plus he wasn't available like I was at the time."

"And you're not available now?" Kitty teases.

"Kitty, I was never really _**available**_."

She smiles bright enough to blind. "If we weren't in this restaurant I'd jump you and ruin that nice suit…"

I hold up a hand and motion over to Jason, our waiter. "Can we have the check?"

**-Back in the limo-**

After waiting painfully for the limo to pull far enough away from Jean Georges, we assault each other.

I think we wanted to make up for all the time we lost being idiots.

"I wish I didn't have on this stupid dress…" I whine in between kisses. I was tempted to take it off, but since we didn't know where our next destination was I decided it was best to keep it most of the way on.

"So do I…" And as if to emphasize that point he slides a strap out of the way to kiss my bare shoulder. I shudder wondering what he could do to me with the proper space and freedom of movement.

His jacket lays discarded on the seat across from us along with his tie. His hair is all mussed from my fingers and we're both flushed from our excitement. If someone opened the door right now they'd think we just finished doing something that I'd _**never**_ done. Not that I'd blame them. I am pinned underneath him with my legs wrapped around his waist.

My dress is hiked up so high that his belt buckle is pinching my stomach. I consider removing his belt, but I know what a gesture like that would mean. It would mean crossing that line and I can't help but wonder if Bobby ever has.

"Bobby…?"

"Hmmm?" His mouth is just below my collarbone putting his chin dangerously close to an extremely erect nipple.

"Have you ever… you know… done this?"

"Made out in a limo? No. Why?"

"No I… -that feels so good- I mean had… you know… sex…" I feel like an idiot for asking especially when he stops kissing me to look down at me.

"No… I mean it wasn't really… uh… possible with Marie… have you…?"

"No!" I sit up slightly. "It just never felt… right… I guess… with him… you know?"

He smiles warmly and kisses me softly. "So are you saying… it feels_** right**_ with me?"

I want to say that everything feels right with him, but instead I place a firm hand on his chest and push him away slightly. "Not in the back of a limo, it doesn't."

He chuckles and grabs my hand to kiss the fingers lightly. "Obviously. I wasn't planning on doing anything X-rated… not tonight anyway…"

"A little presumptuous, aren't we?" I've never been the temptress in any sense of the word, but tonight, slightly buzzed and high on more endorphins than a cocaine addict, I was feeling the role out. And I was enjoying it. I tug slightly at his shirt, giving the impression that I plan on relieving him of it.

He drops his hand to my leg and slides it slowly up my thigh. I wish I could stop myself from shivering or from getting excited, but I can't and he knows it.

"I like to think that there are _**endless**_ possibilities open to us…" He starts playing with the band of my underwear, sliding his finger underneath it and instead of stopping him all I can think about is whether he has any protection.

Before I go to far down that line of thinking he leans in close to me and whispers: "I think we're slowing down…"

As if on cue the limo driver, Tony is his name, comes over the intercom. **Just looking for a place to park, shouldn't be too long…**

Without taking his eyes off me, he reaches up and presses the button. "Thanks, Tony!"

I sigh, sliding out from under him, trying not to notice as he adjusts a sizable bulge in his pants. "Saved by the bell."

"Depends on your definition of "saved" Katherine…" Bobby groans as he sits down next to me. I hate to admit it, but he's got a point.

I pull my dress down and try to see how bad my hair looks. I'm so preoccupied I don't notice Bobby closing the distance until it's too late. His lips are back on mine and I don't bother to fight it. By the time he lets me breathe I'm dangerously close to pouncing on him again.

I'm beginning to understand what Rachel said to me before.

**-Rachel's room, several hours ago-**

"… I'll leave you ladies to it then… 5:30 sharp, Pryde…" Before Aaron leaves, he and Rachel share another of their silent conversations. And as usual Rachel wears an expression of embarrassed delight.

"I gotta be honest, Rae… I would have never put the two of you together." Every time the two of them are in the same room, Rachel regresses into a giggling school girl. Gone is the tough as nails, warrior woman who came to our school with a chip on her shoulder the size of Mount Everest. In its place is something I'd never thought I'd see; a lovesick idiot.

"No?"

"Out of all the possible combinations of couples here… the two of you have got to be the most unlikely."

"Before Wolverine and Storm?"

"Well…"

"Or Betsy and Hank?"

"Okay, maybe _**third **_most unlikely…" I concede, realizing just how odd the combination of couples here are.

Rachel puts down the magazine she'd been reading and looks at me. "When I first met Aaron, I thought he was the most arrogant man I'd ever met." I nod, because it's exactly what I thought. Sure he's good looking and has a sort of charisma about him, but he also comes off as being a bit of a jerk. "But there was something underneath, something else there…"

"What was it?" I ask, genuinely curious. What did someone like Rachel see in Aaron or someone like Ororo see in Logan? It was baffling to me from the outside looking in.

Rachel grins, obviously picking up on my confusion. "Aaron told me once that there are three sides to everyone; the side _**we want**_ people to see, the side we want _**no one**_ to see and who _**we truly are**_. He said who we truly are lies somewhere in the middle of the first two. That "somewhere in the middle"? That's the person we fall in love with."

"How did you get to the point where you even cared about the somewhere in the middle?"

Rachel stands up and takes me by my shoulders. "Because I realized something about him, almost immediately, that made me care. He pushes people away because everything he's ever had, _**everyone**_ he's ever loved has been taken from him. Why allow yourself to care about people or to be cared about, when they'll inevitably be ripped from your life? Tell me that don't sound familiar…"

Suddenly I'm acutely aware of the difference in us.

She's seen so much in her life, experienced more than I can imagine. In her eyes I must be the most naïve person in the world. She's describing not just Aaron, or herself, but also most of the people at this school.

I understood how they felt only in the way a child understands the stove is hot; from being told. I've never had to cope with loss on my own, never had to try and rebuild my life from the rubble of loss.

"I still don't see how you got from there to where you are now…" I argue, thinking back to my relationship with Piotr. If he had acted like Aaron in the beginning no amount of bulging muscles or hot accents would've gotten me to give him a second look.

"That's where patience comes into play… If you're patient enough, people will reveal who they really are without you even realizing it. Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad…" I hang my head in shame remembering how innocent and loyal I thought Piotr was and how I found out the truth later. "And in that moment, if it turns out for the good and if it's the right person you too can look forward to being a _**complete idiot**_ in their presence."

"I didn't-"

She dismisses my protest with a wave of her hand. "It's ok; I know how it looks to you, to a lot of people. But when the connection is… right… when the time is right… things like reason, logic don't matter as much. Don't matter at all."

**-Bryant Park, Ice rink-**

We were not dressed for an outdoor ice skating trip, but of course Aaron thought of everything, including a change of clothes.

Hobnobbing with the rich and famous, dinner at a five star restaurant and now ice skating at a rink nearly as famous as Rockefeller Center, how can I ever ask Kitty to just go to the movies after this?

"Get the led out Drake!" Kitty speeds past me with ease disrupting my thoughts.

I skate after her, admiring her ability to weave in and out of traffic. I also can't help but admire the exceptionally tight fitting jeans Aaron chose for her to wear. Kitty's always been a bit self-conscious about her bust size, but she's got most of the school beat when it comes to legs and butt. And that's just fine by me.

I catch up to her and wrap her in a tight embrace, we're both skilled enough to keep our balance, but I don't know for how long.

"Keep this up and you will have a _**very**_ spoiled woman on your hands…"

"I think I can live with that…"

"You say that now…" She guides us over to an exit and we take a seat on one of the benches still managing to remain entangled. "This has been an amazing night…"

"I wish I could take credit for it…" I mumble a little frustrated that I don't have the means to treat Kitty to a night like this on my own.

"Of course you can take credit for it!" Kitty turns to face me sitting astride the bench. I turn to face her.

"How is that?"

"Who else but you knows I always wanted to try the food and Jean Georges'? Who else but you knows I never got to go to my prom and dress up and ride in a limo? Who else but you knows how much I enjoy ice skating?"

I did know all those things and I had only shared those facts with- "Aaron!"

"Don't you see Bobby?" Kitty scoots closer to me throwing her legs over mine to do so. "Aaron could only have created the_** perfect**_ date because of how well you know me!" I blush at look of appreciation in her eyes. "Because of how much you care!"

Of course I hadn't thought of that. I was so wrapped up in the cost for all this stuff I didn't even realize all we had been doing was according to my script. "I didn't think of it like that…"

Kitty smirks and grabs my collar. "That's because sometimes you're an idiot… just like me…" Without warning she pulls me in for a kiss. It's a quick one, but it still manages to get my heart racing. Now I know for a fact I'm hopelessly in love with this girl; if I didn't know before.

We stare at each other for a beat and I know something else for certain. There is no way we'll be able to keep this under wraps.

"Come on, break time is over!"

**-Back at the Institute-**

My legs were pretty sore from the skating, but I wasn't tired.

After giving an extended good night kiss to Kitty I head to my room, but restlessness keeps me from falling asleep. Instead I wander the grounds trying to wrap my head around tonight.

Was Kitty my girlfriend now? And if so, how do I break the news to everyone else? Especially Noriko?

What happened at the expo? I kept checking the news for any alerts about it, but all I could get was that Reed Richards was a late scratch from the event and didn't give an explanation as to why. I tried finding Aaron, but if he didn't want to be found, no one could-

"Have a good time tonight, Drake?"

"Jeez! Do you enjoy doing that? Stupid question, of course you do!" I turn and face Aaron. Part of me wants to thank him for tonight, but I get the feeling he wouldn't take it if I gave it. "To answer your question; yes, I did. How did you get Richards to pull out of the Expo?"

Even in the dark, or maybe because it was so dark, I could see that unnerving smile of his. "I have my resources…" The smile fades. "But it's only a delaying tactic at best; I'm going to need to work on a more… permanent resolution to that problem… but for now, the good guys win!"

Not knowing what else to say, I start walking again and to my surprise he falls in step next to me.

Neither one of us says anything, both lost in our own thoughts. Aaron is a lot like his father in that he tries to keep us away from the darker side of things. I'd be willing to bet that he had to do something tonight that he wasn't particularly proud of.

That was the way things worked for men like him.

He did the things that needed to be done, because he was in a position to do them. It made him both vital and completely alone. At least he had Rachel to get him through these times; I don't know how he would cope without her.

We find our way to the back patio of the mansion and finally the silence is enough for me. "What made you do… what you did tonight?"

"Afraid you're going to have to be a bit more specific, Drake." He answers with an amused look.

"You know what I mean… the date… and everything…" I'm still not particularly comfortable with the enormous favor he did for me. Especially since I don't know why he did it to begin with.

Aaron doesn't try to hide his annoyance. "I don't want to have that discussion, Drake…"

"Why?"

"Because it will lead to you admitting that you've come to see me as an older brother and I'll in turn have to admit to a similar familial feeling. That of course will lead to unseemly displays of brotherly type affection; most likely hugging and I am way too sober for anything like that."

"Plus you can't get drunk anyway…"

"Exactly! So let's just continue to operate under assumption that you can't stand me and I can't stand you. We work much better as rivals who have grudgingly earned each others respect than as full fledged friends…"

"I'm not sure you've actually earned my respect, grudging or otherwise…" I return, pretending to contemplate.

"I echo those sentiments. But for the sake of wrapping up the story of tonight in a nice bow, let's agree to patronize each other." He holds out his hand for me to shake it and I realize that for now this is as close as he'll come to admitting that he cares for anyone not named Logan or Rachel. And for now, that's okay by me. Although I do feel privileged to even be in this position.

I take his hand and shake it firmly. "I agree, sometimes it's best to set aside pride in favor of the greater good."

Once our handshake is finished things return to normal. "So did you at least get to second base?"

_**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the ride! You can look forward to the continuation of this story and more in the upcoming epic: **__**Amidst the Ashes**__**! Hope you'll follow!**_


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